Pokemon by the alphabet
by Diamond snow
Summary: I decided to take on the ABC challenge. This fic will feature gym leaders, elite fours as well as the champions from the six regions. Some pairings will occur, check the title for more information. Enjoy yourselves! Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
1. A stands for Aromatherapy (Erika)

**A stands for Aromatherapy.**

A soft exhale could be heard as the woman opened up the door to her home. "I'm home!" shouted Erika as she entered her condo. She switched on the lights and a familiar creature walked out of the bathroom. "Glooooom!" greeted her partner with a smile at her face. "I'm glad to see you too Gloom" replied the female, a happy smile gracing her face. She locked the door after she had put down her handbag.

It had been a rather busy day at the gym today with two challengers. One of them was a female trainer who had used a vicious Staraptor plus a well-trained Gothorita against her team. The foreign trainer came out victorious, but that was no surprise. Number two was a guy who tried to outmatch her with a Marshtomp and a Gurdurr. The former Pokémon was no match for her Tangela while the second was a bit trickier. Another thing that had taken up time on her agenda was the perfume business. After Elesa as well as Sabrina announced the names of their perfumes to the press, the sales had skyrocketed. But this had put more pressure on the black haired lady to produce more of the scented liquid that her fellow gym leaders claimed to use daily. A part of her was thankful since this income was good news to her business. But a much more tired aspect of her mind wished that she could clone herself so she could get some rest. Being an executive plus a gym leader was taking a toll nowadays.

"Crikey…I'm so tired" muttered the woman as she headed straight for the bathroom. She did not bother to close the door since it was only her Pokémon were the only ones who lived with her. Erika changed from her kimono to a pair of navy pajama bottoms plus a cobalt blue T-shirt first. After she had hung up her kimono on a hanger, she went straight to the living room. It was time to start her relaxation ritual that usually helped her unwind after a long stressful day. 'Let's see…which scent should I choose?' pondered the 30-year old as she looked at the different scented candles. Her eyes scanned the different containers that stood at her shelf. Being surrounded by perfumes all day long had given the female a good understanding of what kind of effect different smells could have. Having grass type partners helped her out quite a bit as well. The gym leader found oils to be too strong, so candles were the best option for her. Slim hands picked down four candles that were supposed to boost relaxation and her mood. Her nose sniffed at the four different containers. Her face grimaced at the cinnamon scent; it was a bit too sharp for her current mood. The candle with orange scent would not provide her with the relaxation she needed either. But the lavender however made the woman lower her shoulders by just sniffing it. 'I think I'll go with this one. And the patchouli one' decided Erika after some contemplation. She ignited both of the candles after she had put away the other two.

The woman was about to measure up some water in a water bottle when she felt something poke her leg. "Glooooom" sighed her partner with a smile on her face. "You like the smell too huh? That's good. Just stay away from the flames – you know you can't handle them very well" warned the grass type lover. There had been a situation where her Pokémon had touched a candle while she was cleaning up her room. Needless to say, Gloom had to go straight to the Pokémon center straight afterwards with a couple of nasty burns. The poor Pokémon plus the kitchen had escaped unharmed that time – but the female knew it could happen again. She placed both of the candles far back on the kitchen counter so her partner would not get hurt.

"Let's see what the radio station has to offer" said the inky-haired kimono user while she gave Gloom a silly smile. She turned on the radio after placing the water bottle in the freezer. A soothing sound that consisted of a bamboo fountain combined with a rainfall made the atmosphere in the small condo much more relaxed. The young woman laid down at the sofa and felt the build-up tension in her body go away. She inhaled through her nose while relaxing the muscles in her legs as well as her back. A smile formed at her face as she could feel the small aches go away. The combination of lavender plus patchouli made her brain stress down as well. It was just something about floral or natural types of scents that made her body relax. 'No wonder I'm so attracted to grass Pokémon. They're probably acting as a natural stress relief for me sometimes' mused Erika as she glanced over at her partner. The Pokémon was laying down in a medium sized basket that had been remade into a bed. Gloom was not far off from dozing off judging by its calm breathing pattern. It was a bit odd that simple pleasures like these could relax both humans and Pokémon. Nice scents, a soft sofa plus a calming melody on the radio as well as a nice cup of tea was just what the duo needed.

"You know what Gloom…this is really nice" muttered the woman as she glanced over at her partner. "Glooooom" sighed the Pokémon as it rolled over on its back. The gym leader felt her heartbeat and her breathing calm down. All of the stress she had felt earlier was now a distant memory as her senses was fully taking in the relaxing environment. The 30-year old was half asleep when she started to feel thirsty. 'Looks like it's time for me to get my water. Better get up I suppose' decided the female as she got up from her sofa. Her eyes glanced at her watch; she had been dozing off for nearly half an hour. Erika blew out the candles after she had removed the water bottle from the freezer. She sat down again and took a solid gulp of the ice cold liquid. The thirst vanished instantly while the chilly temperature made her mind wake up a little. "Here Gloom. You can take the rest" told the woman before she changed the radio channel. The small session of aroma therapy had calmed down her nerves quite a lot. The gym leader felt a smile form at her face once more; this was exactly what she needed in order to prepare herself for the upcoming week.


	2. B is for Bravery (Maylene x Chuck)

I have to admit I was surprised when I found out Maylene was the fighting type gym leader in Sinnoh. But being the only female gym leader who has that type must be kind of tough. So...I decided to partner her up with someone who had a lot of experience. And who will be a better candidate for that than the first fighting type gym leader in the franchise? Yes - I am fully aware that Bruno has fighting Pokémon too. But I think his schedule would be busier than this guy.

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 **B is for Bravery.**

"C'mon kid! Just two more to go!" shouted the man as he held up the cuba pads. "KIHAP!" shouted the 14-year old as she sent a punch straight into the center. Chuck smiled as he felt the power that her attack had created. "Great. Just two more to go and we'll call it a day!" exclaimed the male as he stepped to the side. Her carnation pink eyes were blazing with determination while her slender hands balled into fists one more time. "KIIHAAP!" screamed the girl as she delivered two cross punches towards the pads in two flurries of pinky beige. "Good job kiddo! Let's take something to drink" told the gym leader after lowering his pads. The duo gave each other a bow before they went to the sides of the dojang. Maylene was in Johto on a vacation with her family since the gym was being hired out to a large fighting Pokémon tournament. She was happy to take a break from her duties plus that this was her first visit in Cianwood. Her father had actually sent a letter to the brunette with a request. He wanted to take his wife out on a special dinner since today was their tenth wedding anniversary. But they needed someone to take care of their daughter – she had not been to Cianwood earlier after all. And since he was a fighting Pokémon trainer with much experience, maybe she could join him on a training session? The man found it hard to say no to that request. Not because he got paid for it – but he had met a lot of female Pokémon trainers who specialized in fighting types. The majority of those he had met were usually from the southern region Hoenn or the northern region Sinnoh. But here in Johto, he was the only trainer apart from that Elite Four trainer Bruno who had more than one fighting type in his team.

"Phew. I'm boiling" muttered the female after she had picked up the bottle with diluted energy drink from her bag. Her Lucario on the other hand was stretching its arms after a rather grueling match with Poliwrath. "I can't blame you. The weather here is hotter than in Sinnoh" replied the brunette, grinning. Nothing was like a good sparring match during the spring. Especially when you had a partner that would give it all like the younger gym leader did. A couple of the guys were glancing at their new guest. A female fighting Pokémon user was very rare in Johto. Especially one at the level that she was at. "Chuck, are there many fighting gyms or dojangs here in Johto or Kanto? I haven't really seen or heard of any" inquired the teenager after she had taken a good gulp of energy drink.

The guy glanced down at her while he was glugging down some ice cold water. His mind started to work out the fighting dojangs as well as the famous trainers in the area. "Well – we have Bruno in the Elite Four for starters. I guess he's the most famous one in Johto and Kanto. He has a team consisting of literally kick-ass or rock hard Pokémon. Then is the fighting dojang over in Saffron where there are a lot of karate guys. They used to be the official gym there until Sabrina wiped the floor with them. That Kadabra of hers in particular is something you really don't want to face. And then it's my gym off course. I don't think there's much else really. Not sure if the ninja dojang back in Fuschia counts since they're specializing more in poison Pokémon with double team" replied the Cianwood gym leader. A frown formed at her face.

"Crap. I had kind of hoped that there would be more gyms or dojangs in this region. I do really appreciate this gym, but I feel that I'm not good enough" confessed Maylene. The slight despair was evident in her voice as well as her eyes. The guy felt a pang of guilt since that was a look he recognized. It was a look he had seen on Bugsy, Whitney, Morty, Falkner as well as Jasmine. They had once been in their young teens with a reasonably strong Pokémon team that could take on many different challengers. But facing older challengers or trainers with strong partners was enough to shatter the confidence of a teenage gym leader with little experience.

"Maylene…why did you start training fighting Pokémon? I haven't really met that many female gym leaders who have the type you have" asked Chuck. She bit her lip, seemingly deep in thought. "That's a bit hard to answer really. I guess it's because I like martial arts more than dancing for instance. Plus that I like the feeling of being able to defend myself against danger. I mean – I'm just a girl. You on the other hand look like someone you shouldn't mess around with" answered the female in an honest voice. The latter bit of her reply nearly made the older male gag on the water he was drinking, but she had a point. Many of the female gym leaders such as Whitney or Jasmine were often thought to be weaker than the other gym leaders due to their personality. Their feminine clothing style did not make matters any easier either. This was something that the brunette did not particularly like. He had a wife who was fully able to keep the house in check when he was not at home for starters. And those idiots who thought they were puny often left the gym in tears after being iron tailed or rolled out by the said female leaders.

"I won't deny that being a man makes my job easier Maylene. But you have something that not all of the guys here have" told the man with a lower voice. His statement made the pinkette look at him in wonder mixed with disbelief. "Really? What's that?" inquired the girl. "You – have GUTS. You train Pokémon who can hold down adults, crush rocks or chop off ice with their bare fists or feet. That's not something that most trainers are brave enough to do. And you even have guts enough to train a type that few female trainers use. Not that it's a bad thing. I just think you're a brave kid who does that" stated Chuck. Her eyes widened when she heard his response. "REALLY? B-but-". "No buts kid. I think you're just as brave as the other gym leaders" stated Chuck. Her wide pink eyes stared at him in wonder. This was the first time a fellow fighting Pokémon gym leader had told her this. "Thanks. Thanks a bunch Chuck" replied the girl in an honest voice. "You're welcome kid. Now, why don't we test out those dummies over there?" suggested the guy. "I'm right behind you!" exclaimed the teenager with a wide smile on her face.

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So - what do you think? Please let me know by writing a review or sending me a message!


	3. C stands for Curiosity (Blacksteel)

Time to start on the third letter!

This chapter will have some Cynthia x Steven shipping or BlackSteel shipping. If you don't like, don't read it.

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 **C stands for curiosity!**

"So here it is" muttered the man as he entered the Relic Castle. He had decided to travel over to Unova for a holiday. Steven had never been to this region, so his curiosity had been drawn to it instantly. It did not make him any less eager when he read about the Relic castle that was located at the Desert Resort. The area itself reminded him of the Desert Ruins back in Hoenn where one of the Regi's were supposed to reside. 'Better take a picture of this to show my dad' decided the male when he noticed the small exhibition with vases. He pulled out his digital camera and took a couple of pictures of the vases. Steven looked at his museum brochure to see what kind of exhibitions they featured at the moment. His eyes widened when he noticed that they were hosting an exhibition of Sinnoh artifacts. They were apparently featuring items found in the underground area plus the sacred areas in Celestic town. 'I wonder what kind of artifacts they have on display. I've heard the Sinnoh region have some rich history regarding space as well as time' recalled the guy. He then headed straight for the guest exhibition room, which was just around the corner.

What the Hoenn citizen saw made his steely blue eyes wide with wonder. The spacious room featured a number of artifacts he had never seen before. First of all were the two glass cages on the left side. Both of them had big spheres in all the colours of the rainbow on display. In another cage that was a bit larger laid fossils that had been found in the Sinnoh region. A couple of them looked like a Pokémon that he had seen on a TV show filmed in Canalave. Then was the most impressive piece; a granite tablet of some sort that had a number of paintings on it. The tablet itself was maybe four feet wide with a length of three feet. But the artifact had been taken good care of given how clear the details on it were. "Do you like it?" inquired a female voice from behind. He turned around, only to see a familiar woman with long blonde hair. She was wearing an ice blue top plus a pair of charcoal gray slacks.

"Cynthia! I haven't seen you in ages. I'm glad to see you're doing well. And I don't just like this exhibition. I love it" stated the bluenette with a wide grin. It was no secret that he liked history as well as archeology. Hence why he had studied those subjects for two years after gaining his Champion title. "Good to hear that. I don't know a lot of trainers who are interested in those topics. Well, apart from the father-son gym leader duo in Sinnoh. They helped me out with this exhibition actually" told Cynthia. "I have to say that you did a terrific job. The artifacts are really interesting. But I'm more curious about how you've been doing lately. We rarely get to meet one another after all" inquired the male. He had to admit that he had felt a bit lonely lately. The gym leaders as well as the elite four members in Hoenn were busy with managing schools, building facilities in their home towns, taking care of their families, participating in contest tours, training their juniors, visiting relatives or friends that lived abroad or refurbishing their gyms. Another issue was that he did not enjoy the amount of media attention he received when he traveled in Hoenn. This problem was nearly solved when the champion visited foreign regions such as Kanto or Unova for instance. Only a few trainers had recognized him here.

"Life hasn't been that hard really. Last weekend, I spent some time at my holiday house in Undella with two of my female friends. I've been at the Nacrene Museum as well as a trip to Castelia to find out more about the history of Unova. This is the last stop on my trip before I go back to my house" replied the young woman. The Sinnoh champion felt impressed when he heard what she had done in such a short amount of time. "Want to join me for something to drink? Maybe we can talk a bit more about what we've been up to lately. No offense intended, but there aren't that many high-ranked trainers back in Unova who have the same interests as me" suggested the blonde. "Sure. I'm rather thirsty as well" answered the young man with a smile. The champion duo went straight for the cafeteria where they sold a number of snacks as well as beverages. He noticed that the cafeteria was rather spacious and had golden yellow wallpaper. All of the furniture was black while some pictures featuring ancient Pokémon hang on the walls. The windows at the opposite end of the room were looking right towards the backyard of the resort.

"I think I'll go for some cold lemonade. What about you Steven?" inquired the female. He studied the menu to see what they had. "I think I'm taking lemonade as well" replied Steven. The duo paid for their lemonade before they found a table close to the corner opposite the entrance. "So what are you doing at the desert resort if you mind me asking? If my memory serves me right, you have a desert with some ruins back in Hoenn as well" recalled Cynthia after she had opened her can. He gave her a wry smile while he thought about the answer. What was the real reason for him travelling to a region so far away? "If I have to be honest, it's probably curiosity. You are right about the desert ruins back in Sinnoh. They are called the Desert Ruins. But the ruins here are different from the ones in my region. And this region hosts cities with a rich history or special monuments. Nacrene for instance has a huge museum while the Driftveil bridge is one of a kind. We don't have anything like that back in Sinnoh, hence why I'm traveling here" confessed Steven. The woman across the table could not help but to smile. "Do you find the people here interesting too?" asked the Sinnoh champion. A small grin formed at his face. "I do. I just hope I can get to know them a bit better" replied the male, his voice sincere. His father was right. Travelling could broaden your horizons in more ways than one…

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I found this chapter rather interesting to write. They're both at a similar age, they are interested in history plus that they're top notch trainers. That is a recipe for a good match if I have to be honest.

Please leave a review or a message if you have any thoughts, constructive comments or praise.


	4. D is for Diving (Misty)

**D is for Diving!**

'Here we go' thought the female as she attached the rebreather gadget to her mouth. She patted the Starmie on its back after making sure her equipment was safely attached. The Pokémon submerged while its trainer held onto its back. Surrounding them now was the cerulean blue water instead of the azure blue skies. Misty could not help but to smile as the went a bit further down into the sea. This was the first time she was diving in the Sinnoh region. Being a water trainer meant that she was naturally attracted to the sea. Diving under the surface was almost like exploring a completely different world. There were shipwrecks with hidden treasures, brightly coloured coral reefs, elegant Pokémon that floated through the water with no effort at all plus that there were no annoying sounds. She had been fortunate enough to explore the water regions in Kanto, Johto as well as the Orange Islands during the journey with her friends. The young woman had then visited the Hoenn region after an invitation from fellow water gym leader Wallace for a couple years ago. It had been an amazing trip despite that the redhead had to travel alone. She had been diving and surfing in the seas surrounding Sootopolis city for three days after finishing a coaching session with the gym leader. The female had witnessed some amazing Pokémon such as Luvdisc as well as Clamperl. But the most incredible Pokémon she saw during that trip was the Milotic that the male gym leader had. It had such beauty paired with an ethereal grace that made most Pokémon pale in comparison.

'I hope I get to see some beautiful Pokémon here. Fingers crossed' thought the Cerulean gym leader as her partner turned to the right. They were now getting closer to the sea floor and she felt the water pressure increase a little. Sea green eyes looked around to take in the surroundings. Some sea grass could be seen at the sandy bottom. The young woman estimated that the sea floor was about 15 feet below her while the surface was about ten feet above her. She could not see any sea wreckages or caves around her, but she noticed some small shadows near a rock thirty feet away. 'Aha!' thought the redhead with a grin. She patted her partner on her back after pointing towards the dark forms. Her partner swam slowly towards the trio. When they came closer, Misty pulled out her waterproof Pokédex. "Finneon, the Wingfish Pokémon. Because of its twin-tail fins that flutter like wings when swimming, Finneon has been called the 'Beautifly of the Sea'. It is a Pokémon native to the Sinnoh region and the pre-evolved for of Lumineon" informed the gadget. The two Finneon emerged from the dark when they heard the sounds. Both of them had a curious look in their cyclamen pink eyes. Starmie let out some sounds, as if it wanted to assure the duo that they were not dangerous. Misty could not help but to smile as she looked at the Pokémon. The Pokédex had been right in terms of the 'Beautifly of the Sea' statement. Both of the fishes had exquisite transparent twin-tail fins that were faint cyan blue. In the center of the fins was a pink pattern that matched the stripes on its sides. They reminded her a bit of the Goldeen she had back home in Cerulean. Many water Pokémon had colourful details or an elegant look to them that few land bound Pokémon had. In addition to this, they often had a calm personality with a slightly rebellious streak. This was a perfect combination for the female trainer.

"Let's catch them! They'll make a great addition to our show" muttered the red head. Her Starmie nodded as its prepared itself for a battle while she let out her Staryu. "Let's go Starmie and Staryu! Use water pulse on both of them!" shouted the young woman. The star duo spun around and created a ultrasonic waves that would hit both of them. Staryu managed to hit the one at the right while the one at the left managed to dodge. "Use confuse ray at the one you hit Starmie! Staryu, use tackle at the other one!" ordered the Cerulean gym leader. Starmie did not managed to hit its target while Staryu hit straight on. Both of the Finneon were apparently struggling a bit "Let's wrap it up! Use water pulse one more time!" shouted the female. Her Pokémon started to spin again and caught both of the fish Pokémon in a ring of waves. Misty rummaged around in her bag while keeping an eye at her partners. She knew she had to hurry if she wanted to catch the two gorgeous fish Pokémon.

'YES! Found them!' cheered the young woman when she found the two dive balls. She quickly swam a bit forwards while her Pokémon moved back. One disadvantage to catching Pokémon underwater was that throwing Pokéballs were nearly impossible. This meant that you either had to make your partner swim towards the Pokémon you had to catch or swim yourself. The red head only swam herself if the Pokémon were weaker than her partners. She extended her arms and touched the two Finneon with the dive balls. She then looked down at them with apprehension as the center buttons were blinking red. 'PLEEEAASE stay inside!' prayed the female as the blinking did not fade away. But her nerves disappeared just seconds later when the scarlet shade disappeared. "YES!" shouted the Cerulean gym leader when she realized that the Pokémon were hers.

Her eyes then looked up; it was time to return to the surface. She did the thumbs up sign to her partners after she had put the dive balls into her bag. Staryu started to swim ahead while Starmie placed itself a bit above her. The larger Pokémon started to swim towards the surface with a low speed since ascending too fast would hurt her. Her eyes started to squint as the sunlight from above grew stronger by the second. She removed her re-breather when her smaller Pokémon broke the surface. Feeling fresh air upon the skin after a dive under the water was impossible to describe. It felt refreshing and a bit cold at the same time. Refreshing since she could start breathing normally and did not have to use goggles to see. Cold since the water was often a little warmer than the surface. Or at least that was how it felt for her. The young woman started to breathe normally again once her head was well above the surface. "Let's swim back to Sandgem town. I can't wait to send our new buddies back to Cerulean!" stated Misty with a huge smile at her face. Her partners nodded as they started to swim back to the small town, now with two new partners in the diving back.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I like writing about Misty since she's quite capable. She has traveled a lot, managing a gym, can swim underwater plus that she has a good relationship with her Pokémon. Let me know in the comments what you think about my chapters so far!


	5. E is for Elegance (Winona x Skyla)

I just watched a couple of Pokémon episodes from the Johto and Hoenn archs. What I noticed was how Pokémon who were ghost or flying type made the battles more interesting compared to those who were fought on land. Which is why this chapter will focus on a duo of flying type gym leaders. So prepare yourself for takeoff...with Winona and Skyla!

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 **E is for Elegance.**

The skies above Fortree city were pale blue with no clouds in sight. It was early in the morning, which meant that the sun rays were less glaring than usual. This was – in short – a perfect day to practice on the flying routines for two female gym leaders. "Ready Winona?" shouted the female who stood at the top of the tower. The woman at the ground waved her right hand as a signal. "Good. Let's go Swanna!" exclaimed Skyla as she let out her bird Pokémon. "Come out Swellow!" yelled Winona before she released her partner. Both of their partners emerged from their pokeballs, ready to take on their next challenge.

"Let's practice on our routine again. I would like Swanna to move a bit earlier since your attack takes a little longer to perform. No offense" suggested the older woman. "None taken Winona. All right Swanna, we need to move a little faster this time. Make sure you stay focused on your attack" told the younger woman. Her swan-like Pokémon nodded in reply. The Unova gym leader had been invited by the lavender-haired woman to the Feather Carnival in Fortree City. She had accepted the invitation since she wanted to become better friends with the other female. Especially since they were both flying type trainers who were highly ranked in their home regions. "We're ready up here!" informed the redhead after her partner had warmed up her wings.

"Great! Fly towards the opposite tower Swellow!" commanded the woman. Swellow took flight while the other female kept an eye on it. The flying Pokémon did not have the same elegance as her snowy-white Swanna had. However, it could fly in a way that reminded her a bit of the airplanes she saw back home. The darker bird could move with higher speed without losing control of its movements. 'Stop daydreaming Skyla! You need to focus!' told Skyla to herself. "Use aqua ring Swanna! Make sure you do not move too much!" ordered the woman when she saw that Swellow was about to reach the tower. Her Pokémon flapped its white wings while it formed an aqua ring that surrounded its pure white body. The shades of cerulean blue, seafoam green and light turquoise made an absolutely stunning contrast towards the ivory bird. 'I have to say that her Pokémon is quite a beauty' thought Winona as she looked at the swan-like Pokémon. She had never seen a Swanna in real life before she met up with the other gym leader. She was a little on the fence first since it looked more like a water type rather than a flying one. But it turned out that the bird had earned its feathers just as much as hers. The female shook her head slightly when she remembered that they had a job to do.

"Right Swellow, let's start with our aerial ace circle! Make sure you go clockwise until you reach the bottom of the aqua ring!" shouted the purple-haired female. Her Pokémon let out a cry as its started on its descent towards the other Pokémon there. It went into a dive first before it started to move in a rather large circle. Both of the trainers watched their partners with anticipation as they came closer to one another. The aerial ace could cause damage to the aqua ring if it came too close while the aqua ring could hinder Swellow in terms of speed. Swanna was trying to not move more than it had to as its partner started to circle around the center of the aqua ring. This was crunch time…nothing could go wrong here. The duo had started practicing their routine for a couple days ago. In the start, they had tried to calculate the radius that the aqua ring had in order to find a safe range. They had then moved on to make the darker Pokémon fly gradually closer to the aqua ring. But the move had failed since the aqua ring disappeared before Swellow was done. The older female had then suggested to let her partner use aerial ace in order to finish the routine. Her theory had proved out to be a success in the trial and they decided to practice on it. The result had been nothing short but stunning. The dark bird Pokémon moving in circles around the aqua ring resulted in a striking combination of speed paired with artistry. Both of the trainers had agreed that at least one of these traits were present in all bird Pokémon. It was well known that Pidgeot, Skarmory as well as Noctowls were able to move either extremely fast or very silent through the air. Both of the trainers could also agree that very few Pokémon could compete with the elegance that an Articuno, Swanna, Swellow or Unfezant possessed. Winona bit her lower lip as her partner was close to reach the bottom of the aqua ring. She could see that the other Pokémon had started to struggle a little bit.

"Keep it going Swellow! You too Swanna!" encouraged the woman in an attempt to keep the morale up. "Great job Swanna! You're doing good too Swellow!" shouted the younger woman to boost their energy. It seemed to do the trick; the Swellow was flying in more steady circles while Swanna flapped its wings a little more energetically. The darker bird then landed on the ground after it hand finished the last circle. Its partner stretched out its wings slightly as it landed next to the other bird Pokémon. "Great job you two! That was the best performance we've had so far!" praised the redhead as she approached the duo. "Swellow!" exclaimed the other bird with a spark in its eyes. "Swanna" replied her Pokémon in a soft voice. "I think we just need some polishing before we can call it a day. What do you say Skyla?" inquired the lavender-haired female as she petted her partner's head. "I agree. Elegance is not something that happens by itself" agreed the other female. Even though the duo did not know each other that well, they knew that elegance took a lot of work. But the payoff was most definitely worth the hard work put into it.


	6. F is for Family (Brock)

Hello everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed your spring break. This chapter will feature a character I think you all are familiar with. Please give a great round of applause to Brock!

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 **F is for Family.**

"Come over here Geodude. I need you to put the plants into the holes please" inquired the young man after he had dug the last hole. "GEO!" replied the Pokémon before he floated towards the basket. Geodude picked up the first tomato plant in a steady manner while Brock looked through the bags of mulch he had bought on his holiday in Sinnoh. It was mainly a sightseeing holiday together with his Pokémon partners plus his younger brother Forrest. The duo had spent a majority of their time in Canalave, Oreburgh and Jubilife city together. The trip had taken about three weeks in total, but they had decided to travel there by ship from Vermilion city. It had been a wonderful journey where they both had obtained more knowledge about Pokémon, history as well as culture.

City number one at their list was Jubilife. They went on a guided tour at the TV station first where they had met one of the producers. Both of the brothers had found this quite exciting. There was no TV station in Johto or Kanto yet, but Goldenrod had a very popular radio station. Later that day, the duo went to see a quarter final Pokémon contest. Brock had been to a number of contests when he travelled with May, but the Pokémon they used in Sinnoh were different. But Forrest was the most impressed since he had never been to a contest. To say that he was impressed would not be an understatement. One contestant had made a Staraptor to create a glittering storm in no time. Then was the Vulpix that had used a combination of fire spin and ember to create a fiery explosion. Seeing the Pokémon made him think of the Vulpix he had received on his journey for such a long time ago. His travels with Ash, Misty, May, Max as well as Dawn had been one of the greatest times in his life so far. He had explored Kanto, Johto, Hoenn as well as Sinnoh in just five years. In addition, the guy had caught Pokémon that could not be caught in Kanto plus that he had met a lot of gym leaders. It made him think of the father and son gym leader duo. Since they specialized in the same types as themselves, he had asked if they could meet them in Canalave. Both of them had agreed since they did not know any Kanto gym leaders. It had been a great meeting where they had trained their Pokémon and talked about their regions. His younger brother had particularly enjoyed meeting the two gym leaders as well as their Pokémon. A Cranidos or Bastiodon were hardly seen in the Kanto region. But the duo had been quite impressed when they saw Golem and Omastar. Especially the latter since it was a prehistoric Pokémon.

"There. All set" muttered the male after he had watered the plant. He then went to check the mailbox. There was a couple of adverts there, a bill for his gym licence plus a postcard from Misty. It made him smile; it seemed like the card was from somewhere in Sinnoh. The Pewter gym leader still kept in touch with his two friends that he pretty much considered to be a part of his family. Misty had travelled with him for a little more than two years and had grown in many ways since then. She had grown into a young woman now who travelled to other regions when she wasn't running the gym in Cerulean. She had apparently been to Hoenn twice plus that she was visiting Sinnoh for the first time. The guy was happy for her since conferences or gym leader events were key to becoming a better gym leader. The young woman had caught rare Pokémon on her journeys as well. But those Pokémon were not only used in gym battles, but in water shows at the gym too. Her sisters had finally realized that she was not a kid anymore and had managed to arrange water shows every other month plus special holidays. The shows were quite good thanks to the performance skills the sisters had combined with their strong Pokémon.

Then there was Ash, who had been his travel partner for nearly five years. It was quite amazing to think that he started out as an inexperienced trainer who had not challenged a single gym leader. The guy had now caught several Pokémon, defeated multiple gyms as well as challenging several elite four members in different regions. Not to mention that he had grown into a fine young man judging from the last photo Delia had sent him. Ash was apparently in the Kalos region to continue his Pokémon master quest. He had arrived in Snowbelle city the last time the brunette had spoken with him. His friend had even gotten some new friends after their visit to Sinnoh. He had apparently met Chilan, who was one of the gym leaders in Striaton for starters. The male had met a girl named Iris as well. She was apparently on a quest to become a dragon master. The older male was happy to hear that his close friend was doing well on his journey. Kalos lay quite far away after all plus that it had very large variety of Pokémon. Having someone who could help him there made him feel more at ease.

"GEO!" stated his partner, snapping his attention back to the present time. The Pokémon had now planted all of the tomato plants in the ground. "Sorry. Got a bit caught up in a daydream" laughed the brunette as he went over to check how Geodude had planted them. Most of the plants had been perfectly planted while two of them could use some more soil to cover up the roots. "Great job Geodude! You can go inside and take a good rest now" stated the guy while he patted his Pokémon on the head. "Geodude" replied Geodude, now having a satisfied look in his brown eyes. It went towards the house while Brock decided to even out the soil on the plants that needed that. It occurred to him just how often he spent time raising things. He was interested in Pokémon breeding, he had spent a couple years of his teenager life taking care of his siblings, looked out for his younger friends on their journey in different regions and was now taking care of vegetable plants.

'How ironic. I'm a rock type trainer who spend a majority of my time with living things' thought the male while he let out a quiet laugh. He knew that Roark spent his time in the mine. Then was Bruno – his idol who was spending a lot of his time in the mountains. But there was another rock type gym leader who spent a lot of time with other people as well. His mind wandered to the strictly disciplined Rustboro gym leader Roxanne. She was dedicating a lot of time as a teacher for the younger students. 'Perhaps it's because rocks can sort of representing the building blocks of someone's life. Roxanne wants to build knowledge while I want to build a life for myself and my siblings. Maybe that's why we're rock trainers. Rocks are after all more solid than muscles or soil' pondered brunette as he patted the brown soil with his hands. He then went back inside the house after checking the gym license bill. It was a bit higher than last time, but he could afford it. The gym had more challengers now due to the new ferry lines from Vermilion city. The improved rail traffic from Saffron to Goldenrod had been a great help as well. This meant that the gym was getting more money since more trainers knew about it. "All right guys! I've made some vegetable stew with lamb meat today!" shouted his younger brother from the kitchen. "Thanks for the help Forrest" told the male after giving his sister a small hug. "Anytime big bro" replied the teen with a grin.

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I thought Brock would be perfect for the family chapter given his "big brother" role and responsible personality in the series. Please let me know what you think so far in a PM or review.


	7. G represents Ghosts (Morty)

**G represents Ghosts.**

A huge full moon lit up the inky blue sky above Ecruteak city. Even though the annual cherry blossom festival was just ten days away, there was definitely a spooky atmosphere in the streets. But this did not seem to bother the people or Pokémon walking around in the streets. Especially the male who was on his way towards the theatre of the city. When he turned a corner, he saw a semi-familiar person walking towards them. "Hello Morty" greeted the new accountant who worked at the city museum. His Minun raised its paw to greet him. "Hello" replied the man while he gave him a polite smile to the duo. "Gengar" replied his ghost partner after the duo had passed them. The Pokémon had not met the duo face to face yet and chose to remain hidden. He wanted to meet the accountant later on when it was daylight. Preferably when his trainer had told that his ghost types were not meaning any harm (even if they were a bit mischievous sometimes).

"Looking forward to the show Gengar?" inquired the Ecruteak gym leader as they approached the theatre where the kimono girls were having their monthly dancing show. "Gengaar" answered his partner, a clear tone of happiness to his voice. The duo walked straight on until they reached the kimono girl's theatre. There were a number of people outside who were waiting for the doors to open. Excited voices combined with laughter made up a rather lively crowd who could not wait for the dancing show. Gengar rested on the man's shoulders while looking around at the people around him. There were old people who were talking about their children coming for a visit plus adults who had brought their own children with them. The spring festival in Ecruteak was quite a sight due to the trees in bloom combined with a fresh breeze and sunlight. A historical bell tower did not ruin this scenery by any means. It actually made it even more stunning thanks to its architecture. 'But it's a bit contrasting really. An old bell tower that may be haunted standing among blooming trees surrounded by people and Pokémon. Kind of like life and death really' mused the male as he moved towards the theatre with his invisible partner. He noticed the number of Pokémon that were in the crowd as well. But it did not really surprise him since Ecruteak had a strong connection to the Pokémon of the past. Having a gym did not discourage this either; there was a steady traffic of trainers that came by to challenge his gym on a regular basis.

"Welcome to our show!" greeted a kimono girl who was dressed in a sapphire blue furisode with a silver obi. "Thank you miss" replied the blonde man as he entered the theatre. He saw there was a number of children and parents sitting at the front rows. A couple of tourists sat in the center while some elderly people sat in the back. He found himself a seat near one of the corners in the back so Ghastly did not scare any of the children. The lights were dimmed while the excited voices died down to a complete silence. Only a small lamp right above the center of the stage had remained unchanged. One of the kimono girls then walked towards the center of the stage with her Flareon right behind her. "Good evening everyone. Today's dance will feature three of our kimono girls plus their Pokémon. You are allowed to take photos, but turn off the flash. Flashing lights will break our concentration. Nobody is allowed on the stage since it may scare the Pokémon in the show. We hope you enjoy our performance" told the young woman. She then left the stage after the center lamp had turned itself off.

The room was silent for about five seconds before a traditional Japanese song started to play. It made Morty shiver despite that he had heard this song on numerous occasions. He then saw three shadows appear in a V formation at the back of the stage. The lights in the back were turned on and revealed three kimono girls that were all dressed in lavender purple kimonos with white petals. Their obis were white as well while their hair pins had cherry blossoms in them. All three of them started to move in what seemed like a slow dance. He glanced towards his partner to see how he was doing. Gengar was now floating above the audience, watching the show from above. 'Smart move Gengar. Hanging up there is going to make you less noticeable' thought the young man.

His eyes returned to the female trio who were now dancing a bit faster. All three of them were spinning in a series of circles until the music came to a temporary pause. Suddenly, a jet of water shot upwards behind the kimono girl in the front. The water jet was then destroyed by a shock wave that came from behind. A low 'aaaah' could be heard from the audience as sparkling drops of water seemed to rain down at the kimono girls. Both of the girls in the back took a couple of pirouettes until they had reached the female at the front. Once the trio had lined up in a horizontal line, they were lifted above the ground by some ethereal force. It was an attack that the Ecruteak gym leader had seen many times during Pokémon matches with Will or Sabrina. It was a psychic attack of some sort that could move things or people.

A trio of Pokemon then stepped out of the shadows. It was a Vaporeon, a Jolteon plus an Espeon that had glowing blue eyes. The kimono girls were then put down at the ground again after the Espeon moved them towards the left side of the scene. The three Pokémon stepped to the right before they did a slow sweeping motion with their heads towards the left. All of the kimono girls did the same motion to match the music. All of the lights were turned on again while the music came to a complete halt. Whistling paired with well-deserved applause broke through the silence that had filled the room just seconds earlier. As everyone exited the room, the gym leader stayed behind a little bit. His partner floated down from the ceiling once the largest crowds had left. "Gengaaar" muttered Gengar with a satisfied voice. "I'm glad you enjoyed the show too Gengar. Let's go back home now – it'getting late" replied the male. The duo walked through the exit and entered the spring night. Less than a minute later, the trainer as well as his Pokémon had disappeared into the shadows of Ecruteak city.

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I'm going to blame my recent discovery of Bleach for this chapter. Please let me know what gym leaders or elite four members you would like me to write about in upcoming chapters. Praise and/or constructive criticism are much appreciated as well.


	8. H is for helper (Cilan x Chili x Cress)

It's no secret that Pokémon can be used as helpers in everyday life apart from battling. Ash's mum had a Mr. Mime to help her out with the housework while relied on his Pokémon during a war. But this chapter is going to feature…the gym leader trio from Striaton!

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 **H is for Helper.**

'Oh man. Today is going to be busy' realized the male when he approached the restaurant. There were already people lining up in the entrance area plus that excited chatting could be heard from inside. Cilan went towards the staff entrance at the back so he could start right away. All of the smells that came from the spices, boiled vegetables as well as cooked meat made his nose twitch. The young man headed straight for the locker room so he could change into his waiter uniform. "Come out Pansage! I need help at the kitchen!" called the Striaton gym leader after pulling out a pokéball from his pocket. His partner appeared with a big smile on his face. Helping out in the kitchen was something he enjoyed as much as his trainer did. "Let's get out – my brothers need some assistance" told the male after fastening his jacket. The duo left the locker room and jogged into the kitchen. Cress was chopping up a large daikon while their brother was stirring soup in a large soup pot. "Send me the pepper Pansear! I need it for the mushroom soup" shouted Chili after he had turned down the heat. "Pansear!" exclaimed the Pokémon before it searched through the spice rack. He then hopped towards his trainer after finding the correct container. Maneuvering through the kitchen was no hard feat when you were a monkey at just two feet tall. "Pansear" informed the monkey as he handed the pepper container to the human. "Thank you Pansear" replied the redhead before he took the pepper.

"Hey guys! Do you want me to serve for the first two hours?" inquired the greenette. They had a rotation order where each 'station' lasted for two hours. One prepared the ingredients or washed the tools, one cooked the food while the last one assisted the cook and served the food to the guests. "Yes Cilan. Could you please pour the mushroom soup into these two bowls when I'm done? We got two customers who have ordered the pepper mushroom soup" informed the other guy. "Sure thing Chili" replied the male as he made his way over to the area where they had stacked up the tableware. 'SHOOT! Someone must have forgotten to empty the dishwasher!' realized Cilan as he opened the cupboards. There were two bowls there for the soup, but nothing else. He would have to hurry if they wanted to serve the food on time. There was only one thing to do. "Pansage, come over here" told the guy in a serious voice. His partner stopped talking with Pansear and approached his trainer. "I need you to do something important for me. You need to take out the tableware, cutlery and glass out of the dishwasher. Do NOT carry more than you can handle! Ask Pansear to help you if he's not busy. Got it?" inquired the greenette. "Pan-sage!" stated his partner with a dead serious expression to match. "Great! Let's get the soup ready" said the guy. He went straight over to the soup pot with the two bowls.

Chili clearly had a good cooking day today if one were to judge by his soup. The smell that came from the soup pot nearly made the Striaton gym leader drool. He picked up a steel ladle and started to pour the hot soup into the two bowls. "Could you please send me some chives Cress?" asked the guy after he had poured the soup into the bowls. "Coming right up Cilan" replied Cress. He took some chives from the fridge and started chopping straight away. The male handed them over to Panpour, who had to get across the kitchen without bumping into the green Pokémon. Pansage was carrying knives with his right hand while the left hand was holding some forks. Bumping into someone carrying such sharp tools would cause a lot of pain in addition to the mess. "Thanks Panpour" told Cilan after the blue Pokémon had made it across the kitchen in one piece. "Pan-pour" replied Panpour with a satisfied grin. Cilan sprinkled both of the soups with some chives before he put them on a trolley. He noticed there was a note there with the number '5' on it. But there was no rest for the wicked as the guy cooking the food put two plates on his trolley. "Here's the next order Cilan. Vegetarian salad with mozzarella cheese – table 11" informed the other guy as he laid the order slip at the trolley. "Thanks Chili" replied the male as he adjusted his apron. He then looked over at his Pokémon to make sure he was all right. Pansage was currently carrying some tumbler glasses towards the cabinets. 'Looks like Pansage is doing all right' concluded the greenette before he went towards the restaurant.

The atmosphere in the eating area was a lot calmer than in the kitchen. 'Looks like several of the guests are relaxed or satisfied' noticed the guy as he went straight towards table five with the soup. Sitting at the table was a couple who appeared to be in their forties. The man had short brown hair and was wearing a blue shirt plus jeans. The woman however had light auburn hair tied in a knot while her outfit was a simple forest green dress. He cleared his throat before parking the trolley in front of the table. "Here is your soup! I hope you enjoy it" told Cilan in the well-rehearsed 'waiter voice' paired with an equally polite smile. "Thank you! I hope it tastes as good as it smells" replied the man in the couple. The guy gave him a nod before he continued towards table 11. Sitting there were two elderly men that looked nearly identical – especially since they were both wearing dark blue kimonos. "Here are your mozzarella salads! I hope you enjoy it" said the Striaton gym leader as he put the food on the table. "Thank you!" replied the duo. "We're twins, but I bet you've figured it out" told the man at the left side. "I heard you have two brothers working here?" inquired the one at the right side. "That's right sir" replied the male. "I hope the three of you keep up the good work. Having siblings that supports you is a privilege" told the one at the left. The greenette knew he was right. He remembered Iris and Ash who were both the only child in their family. Sure, there were times the guy wished he had been in their situation. But the pros about having siblings were a lot more than the cons. "I agree. Enjoy your salads gentlemen" replied Cilan before he returned to the kitchen. "Did you get a good start on the evening Cilan?" inquired his brother after brushing cobalt blue hair away from his eyes. "Yes. But I don't think I could have done it myself" told the guy in an honest voice.


	9. I represents Incredible (Lance)

**I represents Incredible.**

The modern times are invading Johto. This chapter is featuring one of the strongest Champions so far. Lance fans - this one's for you!

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A small creak could be heard as the door opened. The room was completely dark apart from the moonlight that shone through the window at the right side. No sounds could be heard either – at least for human beings. A small 'click' could be heard as the light switch was turned on. 'Great. I can't wait to take a look at this' thought the male as he entered the room. The light revealed a nicely sized bedroom that looked quite normal. The walls were painted in a slate gray colour while the floor had cherry wood flooring. Or so it appeared to be – it was actually laminate. It featured a bed at the left side of the door that had dark seafoam green bedsheets on it. At the opposite side stood a large wooden desk with a comfortable black chair in front of it. A small chest of drawers was partially hidden underneath the desk. On the desk itself was a laptop, a few photos, some letters that had not been opened plus a stationary organizer. A large book shelf was right behind the door. But in the center of the room stood a large cardboard box that had the label 'fragile' plastered all over it. It had apparently been sent from the Unova region by boat. Lance smiled as he entered his bedroom.

'Let's see what you got for me Drayden' thought the guy after he had found a pair of scissors that stood in the stationary organizer. The older man was a gym leader that had been communicating with him for some time after they had attended a dragon trainer event that the Johto dragon clan had hosted. He was apparently the mayor of Opelucid city in addition of being a gym leader. This was something the redhead found very impressive since running a gym was a full time job on its own. Those located in cities that were easy to travel to were particularly busy. But the Unova trainer said that he shared his responsibilities with another trainer called Iris, which lightened the load. Needless to say, the duo had agreed to keep in touch so they could help each other out. Both regions were quite far apart from another for starters. Another important aspect was the legends connected to the Pokémon types they specialized in. The latter was the very reason why the older male had sent the package that was now about to be opened.

'Hm. This seems quite interesting' thought Lance when he saw a rather new-looking booklet laying at the top. On the cover was a painting of some sort with three Pokémon who were named Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem. 'The myths behind the chaos! How the Tao trio came to life' said the title of the booklet. 'No way – is this really the backstory of these three Pokémon? There must have been done tons of research behind this!' realized the redhead as he looked at the index. He decided to read the chapter that was labeled 'The history of the Tao trio: How it all began'. The chapter had several pictures that were taken of old cave paintings plus more intricate reconstructions made by a computer program. But the text however had information from interviews plus statistics that were quite detailed compared to some of the other work he had read. 'Holy…this is just amazing. They must have had a very skilled team to do this research. The data here seems quite plausible while the research is quite thorough. I had no idea that the history behind legendary Pokémon in Unova was so rich. I better sign up for the next conference there so I can check out some of the sites mentioned here' decided the male as he turned to the next page.

His curiosity had been put ablaze; legends about dragon Pokémon was something that he had been interested in from a very early age. The history about the two brothers captivated him from the very beginning. It seemed like quite a plausible story since Unova was a more diverse region than Kanto or Johto. He did however find the part about the Pokémon splitting into two a bit hard to believe however. It just did not seem that realistic. The champion decided to put the box in the trash when he noticed there was another item inside it. He raised an eyebrow in wonder as he picked up a rather small rectangular cardboard box that laid in the corner of the larger box. The box did not weigh a lot and it had not been labeled as fragile. But the container did however have an earthy smell that he could not recognize. The guy carefully opened up the lid that was located at the right end of the box. Inside were five berries that were laid in individual plastic containers. 'Hm. I haven't seen those in Kanto or Johto. Perhaps these are some kind of super berries that can only be found in Unova' mused Lance. He then saw the small note that had been taped on the cardboard box. The redhead removed the note and unfolded it. 'These are Yache berries. They are able to weaken an enemy's super effective ice type attack. I think that may come in handy if you're up against a tough opponent. After all, ice is a killer for dragons. Make sure to plant the berries in rich soil and water them every day. Using fertilizer can make more berries as long as you up the dosage of water' read the text written on the note. A grin formed at his face when he read the description.

'I better go and plant these berries. Can't believe how lucky I am to have such great allies at my side. But I better find something that I can send to Drayden…something that's not very common in Unova' thought the male. He started to think about the Pokémon team that his fellow gym leader had. The man had mentioned that he had a Druddigon as well as a Haxorus. Both of them were pure dragon type Pokémon who probably had a move set to match. 'Maybe I should give him a TM containing some sort of dragon type move. GOT IT!'. His eyes fell upon a box that stood at the top of his bookshelf labelled 'TM'. Lance removed a TM containing the move dragon breath from the box and started to write his thank you note to Drayden. Having friends in other corners of the world with interests similar to your own was truly one of the most amazing things in the world.

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I thought it would be interesting if Drayden got in touch with Lance in some way. They're both high-level dragon trainers who have a number of responsibilities outside their gym leader/champion duties. Please let me know what you think in a review!


	10. J stands for Joy (Wallace x Fantina)

Happy May everyone! This chapter is for the contest fans. The coordinator in this chapter is based on a famous person. Do you know who it is?

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 **J stands for Joy.**

It would be an understatement to say that there was an excited atmosphere in the contest hall. Today was the master class semifinal in the beauty category. Suddenly, the lights were dimmed in the audience area. A single light lit up at stage where Raoul Contesta stood. "Good morning everyone! Today's guest judges are Wallace and Fantina!" announced the man. A huge round of applause followed as the lights were directed towards the two famous judges. Both of them smiled as they waved towards the crowd.

"I'm quite looking forward to this. It should be trés intéressant" told the woman with a smile at her face. "I think so too. We got two highly skilled contestants plus a great crowd. First time you're in Hoenn?" inquired the male as he looked at her. "Non Wallace. I was at a conference in Slateport last year. It's the first time I'm here for a contest" replied Fantina. "I see. I hope you've enjoyed Hoenn so far my lady" told Wallace. He had seen a number of Sinnoh contests when he was going to pick a new guest judge. After the guy had seen her performances, he decided to get in touch with her. It wasn't just that her contributions were elegant with a sophistication that few Hoenn performers had shown. She had something else that the champion just could not identify. It was a quality that top level trainers as well as coordinators seemed to be in possession of.

"Our first contestant is Elisabeth. Please give her a warm applause!" announced the judge. A young woman with auburn hair walked up at the stage. She was wearing a sleeveless forest green maxi dress with a small belt. On her feet were a pair of shiny golden stilettos plus a necklace with sparkly stones in peachy pink. Her hair had been curled loosely and tied up in a high ponytail. "Hello Elizabeth, nice to see you. How are you doing?" inquired the foreign woman. "I'm fine, thank you for asking" replied the younger woman. She had a slightly nervous look in her steely blue eyes. "Great. I would like you to show us the moves your Pokémon has. You have two minutes once your Pokémon is out" told the violet-haired woman. The coordinator nodded before she lifted her right hand. "COME OUT GROWLITHE!" shouted the female. A burst of golden sparks was released as Growlithe emerged from the poke ball. "Let's do what we've been practicing at! Time to use sunny day!" ordered Elisabeth. Her partner immediately stretched its head towards the ceiling as the sunlight illuminated the stadium.

"I have to say – she's got a fresh beauty that I really like" muttered the man as he studied the Pokémon that was basking in the sunlight. "I agree. Seeing so many dolled-up trainers is rather faux-pas. Especially the younger ones" agreed the older woman. "Use fire spin Growlithe! Remember what I told you about the size!" instructed the auburn-haired girl. "Grooow!" barked her partner before it exhaled a fire spin. Both of the judges studied the blazing rings to see how the arches were. The teal-haired man noticed that they were a bit thinner than the Pokémon that belonged to Flannery. Said female was a gym leader who was very competent with fire Pokémon. "Take a look at the thickness of each flame ring. They look a bit weak, don't you think?" inquired the male while glancing at the older woman. "Oui. But take a look at the vitality they have. They're still shining bright even if they're far off the floor" commented Fantina. She was right; the rings that were reaching towards the ceiling were still blazing.

"Time for our ace move. Use flame burst – aim for the top!" shouted the girl. Wallace could not help but to notice the spark that shone in her eyes when she executed her command. It was a bit similar to the one that he had seen in the beginning. "Lite!" replied Growlithe prior to taking a deep breath. The Pokémon then fired a strong fire burst at the center of the spiral. 'Well what do you know. Looks like she has created a pyramid with those fire spins! Clever girl…but I wonder how this may turn out' observed the man. The flame burst went straight towards the top in a line. It then exploded when it made contact with the smaller ring at the top. When this happened, the top flame rings exploded in a golden firework that covered the whole scene. The bigger fire spins burst into sparkles once the higher ones hit them. 'I see. She used the flame burst to create a domino effect with the fire spins. Not extremely complicated, so I don't think that'll give her much of a bonus. But I'll give her some solid points for the execution as well as the spirit they showed' concluded the champion as he saw the Pokémon perform a sort of dance by using double team. The male wrote down the final score after the duo had done their last move. Everyone in the audience applauded or whistled while Elisabeth and Growlithe bowed towards them. The older female then turned her head towards him.

"What do you think of her score? I think her fire techniques are a bit simple. But young Elisabeth has a sincere joie de vivre that she shares with her Growlithe" stated the Hearthome woman as a smile graced her features. His eyes widened when he recalled the spark he had seen in the young female's eyes. 'THAT'S IT! It was not some sort of youthful energy or beauty. It was pure and utter JOY!' realized the Sootopolis citizen. He glanced at his scores before he looked over at the sheet in front of the older woman. Their scores were quite similar with only a point apart at the most. "I have to say Elisabeth – you have good timing in your performance. You pulled it off very well" told Mr. Contesta. "Your Growlithe has fire attacks with a lot of vitality in them. You must have taken good care of it" informed Nurse Joy. The female then stood up to give the younger woman.

"Elisabeth…why did you become a coordinator?" inquired the mauve-haired woman. "Uhm – I did not really excel at being a Pokémon trainer. Both Norman as well as Watson defeated me easily. But when I decided to become a Pokémon coordinator five years ago, it felt a lot more right. Growlithe seems to enjoy it a lot more too" replied the auburn-haired female. "I can see that. You have a sincere joy in your eyes when you're showing off what Growlithe can do. Even if you do not make it to the final, keep up your good work. Faking such sincere happiness is impossible" stated the older woman. "Thank you!" exclaimed the female – her eyes gnistering. "I agree on what Fantina said. You have a sincere joy that you share with Growlithe. I wish you all the best" finished the man. She gave him a polite bow before she exited the stage. 'I hope the other contestants have the same sincere joy as Elisabeth. If not – they're probably not going to make it to the final. It takes more than good techniques to make it to the top' thought Wallace as he pulled out the next score sheet for the other semifinalist.

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Any thoughts about the new chapter? As for Elisabeth...let's just say she's named after a famous 90-year old woman living in England who is quite famous.

Please let me know what you think in a review or PM!


	11. K represents Knowledge (Lucien x Lenora)

Being a bookworm, there are some genres I like better than others. I sometimes think why I like or dislike the different book genres. This inspired me to write this fic about Lucien on a holiday in Unova. The location is probably not a surprise for those who knows what Lucien is interested in...

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 **K represents Knowledge.**

'Hm…this is quite an intriguing gym. First time I've seen one in a library that is at the back of a museum' observed the male as he entered the Nacrene gym. It was rather spacious with large windows that let in some natural light. Lucien could smell a weak hint of soap combined with paper. 'Seems like they-'. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a duo of Minccino sweeping the bookshelf on his right. A smile formed at his face – it made sense. This was a normal type gym with many young trainers of both genders. And most young trainers had Pokémon that had not evolved completely yet. His ears then saw a female trainer who was standing at the top of a small ladder. She was probably about 14 and was wearing a school uniform. He saw there was a book in her hands. "Flame burns inside its body, and it gives off smoke from its head while it runs by using steam power. Hey – what's this?" muttered the black haired girl when she flipped the cover of the book. There was a note of some sort taped on the back.

'So that's how Lenora is challenging her opponents. They need to use their knowledge' noticed the young man. It made him smile in satisfaction; this was a refreshing change from the usual gyms. Most of the gyms the Sinnoh elite four member had no mental stimulating challenges. Nearly all of them had some fancy transportation system that would send the challenger to the different trainers instead. This was something that the male found a bit puzzling. A majority of high-ranked gym leaders relied on strategy in order to defeat a challenger. Volkner and Maylene were two examples of this. Both of them had a Pokémon with a type that could defeat the obvious choice against their main Pokémon. He decided to take a look at the books that were in the book shelf closest to him. Most of them were concerning Pokémon anatomy or Pokémon related research. 'Hm. This looks interesting' thought the psychic type fan when he spotted a shelf with several art books. Many of them appeared to be related to art history, architecture, important artists that lived in this region as well as graffiti. He decided to read a book that seemed to be about architecture in different regions. 'This is not the type of books I usually read. But I will probably acquire more knowledge if I explore unknown territory' pondered the young man as he sat down in a comfortable chair. He chose one that was partially hidden behind a bookshelf. Lucien flipped through the pages until he reached the chapter that explored the architecture in Unova.

'Unova has more diversity than the other regions regarding architecture. Many of the cities have their own unique features that makes them stand out. This is a contrast to Kanto and Johto who have many cities that share the same traditional architecture' informed the first paragraph of the text. 'A number of the cities have very modern designs. Castelia, Driftveil as well as Nimbasa city are more famous for business or attractions rather than art' continued the text. A couple of photographs that showcased the ferris wheel in Nimbasa as well as the skyline of Castelia were on the next page. The male had never been to any of those cities before since this was his first trip to the Unova region. 'Maybe I should try to visit one of those cities if they are close to Nacrene. May as well see if they are as modern as they appear to be' decided the elite four member. He turned to the next page. 'A majority of the houses in Striaton are made out of brownstone with steep staircases that almost goes to the second floor. They feature asymmetrical façades, second story balconies as well as slate roofs. These characteristics are very typical on buildings that are influenced by Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Baroque style from Europe. This is not a surprise given the amount of European immigrants that used to live in Striaton' informed the text. This made sense for the man since Striaton was famous for tasteful European-inspired food plus a park that looked quite different to the ones in Goldenrod or Celadon.

"Hang in there! We're going straight to the Pokémon center!" shouted a voice that made him snap out of his reverie. He looked up and saw the ebony-haired trainer from earlier. She was holding onto a Luxio that appeared to have taken a number of direct hits. This made the psychic Pokémon fan a bit surprised. He knew that Luxio was not a puny Pokémon given its dual types. Furthermore, the specimen that the girl had did not appear to be very small or physically weak. 'Whoa. Lenora must be quite strong if she was able to reduce a Luxio to that state! Especially since she is a normal Pokémon user' thought the male as he looked at the female trainer. She exited the gym moments later, leaving him on his own. A pair of steps could then be heard from the end of the room. The owner turned out to be Lenora. "Are you here for a gym match?" inquired the woman. "No – I'm just a visitor from Sinnoh. My name is Lucien" told Lucien before he gave her a polite bow. "Oh! I know who you are! You are that elite four trainer who has psychic Pokémon. I saw you on TV for about two weeks ago. I'm Lenora by the way. I'm the gym leader here" replied the teal-haired female. He knew what program she was talking about. For about a month ago, the elite four trainers from Sinnoh had partaken in a panel regarding Pokémon training for different age groups. It had turned out quite well given that the young man had to replace Flint, who had been invited to his cousins wedding.

"You have a very nice gym Lenora. It's not very often you find gyms where the trainers have to use their book smarts" complimented the elite four member. "Thank you. I am quite a book lover myself and my husband works at the museum. So I thought it would make sense to make a gym that looked like a library" replied the older woman with a smile at her face. The male then remembered the book he had been reading and put it back in the shelf. "First time you're visiting Unova?" inquired the Nacrene gym leader. "Er – yes. I think I'm going to Striaton tomorrow. I'm thinking about visiting Castelia City later on. But I'm not sure which one I should go to first. Striaton apparently has a lot of European influences while Castelia is more modern with studios plus a more diverse approach. I know they have a bug-type gym leader there who is named Burgh as well. Do you have any recommendations?" asked the psychic Pokémon user as they walked towards the exit.

The older female closed her eyes for a couple of seconds, apparently deep in thought. "I think Striaton is a good place to begin since you're new to Unova. Striaton should give you an insight to the cultures that has influenced our region. Castelia is not a bad second place to go, but it is a very large city. But I think you will enjoy yourself there if you like Nacrene. Especially the gym" informed the Nacrene gym leader. "How is his gym related to Nacrene? Is he into art history?" inquired the the younger man as they went down the stairs. The woman started to laugh. "No, he's actually an artist. Furthermore – he is actually from Nacrene City. He moved to Castelia a couple years ago after he had spoken with the old gym leader. She wanted to retire and asked him to take over the gym since he was an artist as well" informed Lenora. His eyes widened when he heard about that. "Whoa. I didn't know that. I suppose it's true what they say…you learn something new every day" replied Lucien as they went to the Pokémon center.

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I thought it would be fun to experiment a little with Lucien and Lenora in a fic like this. They both like books and appear to be very smart people. But I'll imagine that Lenora is a bit more alternative than Lucien is.

Please let me know what you think!


	12. L is for Luminous (Volkner)

First of June is here and the summer is here! It's not long until the school holidays. Are any of you doing anything fun or perhaps traveling somewhere?

This chapter is about how important it is to take responsibility. It contains a metaphore as well. Let's see if you can find it!

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 **L is for Luminous.**

"Did you call him?" inquired the electrician as he looked at his trainee partner. "Yeah. I called him yesterday right before we had lunch. He said he would be here at 5 PM today" replied the younger guy. The duo had just fixed the bulb inside the Vista Lighthouse, but there was a bit of trouble concerning the power. It would be safer to have an electric type Pokémon handle it since they could handle the electricity better. And who would be the better choice than the male who just walked out of the elevator? He was after all the gym leader with strong electric type Pokémon on his team. "I'm here. What's wrong?" inquired Volkner as he approached the two electricians. "We have some good news plus some bad news. The good news is that we have replaced the bulbs as well as some of the smaller wires. But the bad news is the big wires. We need some special help from your Pokémon in order to place them properly. Our Pokémon are not strong enough to handle it, so we need your help" informed the older man. "I see. I'll see what they can do" replied the young man in a semi-polite voice. The electrician in front of him smiled. "Great. Let's get this on. Come out Magnemite and Helioptile!" exclaimed the man as he threw two great balls onto the floor. Both of the said Pokémon appeared moments later. 'Hm..I know that Magnemite can absorb quite a deal of electricity. But it does not have the hands that Helioptile has. I bet both of them have assisted the electrician a number of times' thought the Sunyshore gym leader. Electivire was out of the question since it would be too powerful. On the opposite end was Ambipom and Octillery who would not be able to handle the power. "I think I've decided. Raichu – it's time to help out!" stated the male as he sent out his Raichu. "Raichu!" greeted the Pokémon as he emerged. "All right. Just tell us what you need help with" told the blonde man. "I need your Raichu to help Magnemite with absorbing electric energy that may come from the large wires over there. I would like Raichu to hold onto it with Magnemite. Heliolisk will help me with re-wiring the outlet. My trainee would also like a little help with replacing the emergency engine generator. Once that is done, your Raichu can charge the emergency engine generator with its surplus energy" informed the electrician.

"Sounds good to us. You'll help out Magnemite while I help our future electrician here" ordered the guy. "Rai!" replied his partner. He went straight over to the big wire to help out Magnemite with the electric absorption. "Thanks for the help Volkner. The generator is downstairs. We're going to take the elevator to get it. I wanted to use a Machoke, but it had to help one of our coworkers in Oreburgh" informed the younger guy with a thankful smile. 'Oreburgh huh? I bet it has something to do with the mine improvements I read about in the news' recalled Volkner. He had read an article regarding a recent mineral discovery in the mine. This had resulted in an increased income and some of the money would be used on improving the coal mine. 'It's a little bit funny. Roark is responsible for the safety in the mine while I have to make sure the lighthouse works' mused the male. A small 'ding' brought him back to reality as the elevator reached the ground floor. He exited the elevator with the trainee moments later. "OK – here's the generator. I just need you to lift it onto the trolley so we can get it upstairs" told the younger male as he gestured towards the generator. It was about three feet tall and two feet wide while the trolley was next to it. The blonde went over to the generator after rolling up his jacket sleeves. "Just grab it underneath like this. We'll lift on three" said the junior electrician. The older man nodded as he bent down. "One…two…three!" shouted the man. Both of them lifted up the generator, which was harder than the Sunyshore gym leader had thought. 'No wonder the electricians in this city are in good shape. Doing this on a regular basis will probably make you as strong as the Machokes they're using' concluded the male as he walked sideways. The duo managed to get the generator onto the trolley and drove it into the elevator. This was quite a bit easier since they only had to push it instead of lifting it. It did not take long until the duo were back at the top of the lighthouse with the generator.

"How're they doing?" inquired Volkner after they had pushed the trolley out of the elevator. "They're doing quite good. We just need a couple more minutes before your Raichu can get rid of its surplus energy" replied the electrician. The guy approached his partner, who was pushing some wires into an outlet. "You're OK Raichu?" asked the blonde. "Rai-chu" replied the Pokémon in a serious voice. He had a rather focused look in his dark eyes that matched his voice. "All right Raichu. Don't be afraid to take a break if you need it" told the male, his voice more caring now than usual. "Raichu" stated his partner. The Sunyshore gym leader saw random sparks dance around the tail of his partner – a textbook example of surplus electric energy. He glanced out of the window and noticed that the sky had started to turn pink. This was to be expected since the sun was about to set. 'I hope we get the light working in time. The sailors are probably coming back from work now' thought the guy. Even though the sky was clear, the lighthouse provided essential light that would guide the sailors back to the harbor. Just the thought of not being able to guide his workers back to the city made the guy nauseous with guilt.

"Great job guys! Looks like Raichu and Magnemite are finished. Let's connect them to the generator so they can get rid of the surplus energy" stated the older man in a satisfied voice. He pulled two wires out from his tool box plus a pair of plugs. "Are you ready Raichu?" inquired Volkner as the electrician started to connect the wires to the generator. "Raichu!" replied the Pokémon in a determined voice. "Great. Just put these on his tail and we're ready to go" told the man after he had plugged in the second wire. The younger man carefully laid both of the plugs on his partner's tail since he did not want to get electrocuted. "OK Raichu! Start your discharge!" told the blonde. "RAAAAAI!" yelled the Raichu as he started to discharge his surplus energy. The extra electricity made the generator hum quite loud. "Are you sure it won't overpower the generator?" asked the male as he looked at the duo. "Yes, we've done this many times. Let's turn on the light bulb" told the trainee. The blonde turned on the power while praying that everything worked as it should. His prayers were answered when a powerful light was emitted from the large light bulb. "OK guys. Thanks for your hard work, I highly appreciate it" told the Sunyshore gym leader. "No problem Volkner. Let's disconnect your Raichu" replied the older man after shaking hands with him. The Pokémon in question had gotten rid of the buildup and was back to normal. The trio left the lighthouse after doing a last checkup. Out here, the light was even more impressive. "Whoa…the whole harbor is illuminated. It's quite amazing" muttered the electrician. "It sure is" replied the younger guy in a quiet voice. Sunyshore was not only a city that got its energy from the sun. It provided the city with light during its darkest periods as well.

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Did you find the metaphore? Let me know in a PM or review.


	13. M stands for Makeover (Sabrina x Elesa)

This was a chapter I REALLY looked forward to! It features two gym leaders I'm a fan of plus a theme I enjoy writing about. For me, it makes sense that Sabrina met Elesa at some point prior to Black and White. Elesa is a model while Sabrina is featured in a movie at the Pokéstar studios. By the way - seafoam green is a bit more turquoise compared to pine green. Use google if you want to compare them. Time to see how it could have played out!

* * *

 **M stands for Makeover.**

A medium sized crowd of people exited the train that had just arrived from Saffron city. A number of them were here to participate in the bug catching contest. Others were here to challenge the gym leader Whitney. But some were here to meet friends or attend business meetings. One of them was a female who was wearing a pair of eggplant purple sunglasses, a baggy charcoal gray T-shirt plus a pair of worn out jeans shorts. On her feet were a pair of light brown sandals. Her main reason for this attire was to not draw any attention since she was a well-known trainer. She followed the crowd outside before going to the bike shop.

"Hey! Over here!" called a voice behind her. It turned out to be the supermodel gym leader Elesa, who was dressed in a yellow sundress plus a pair of black Mary Janes. "Hey" greeted Sabrina after she had turned around to face her. "Great, you did just like I told you! Let's go to the Goldenrod tunnel so we can meet my agent" told the female. She put on a pair of black aviators as they ventured out in the streets. "Was it the hairdresser at the Goldenrod tunnel who did your hair?" inquired the casual-dressed woman as they went down the stairs. "Mhm – they are quite good at their job. Are you nervous?" replied the other female when they had reached the bottom. The underground had a somewhat busy atmosphere since there were a number of people there. Most of them were engaging in battles or entering the department store. Others were taking pictures at the photo booth. A familiar smell of perfume mixed with hairspray tickled her nose as they approached the salon. The greenette looked around in the establishment. It appeared to have a clean-cut natural style with some warmth. All of the walls were painted in a pale golden yellow color while the chairs were in rich wooden material. Deep brown tiles at the floor plus a couple of plants completed the look. 'Looks like they want to give a professional impression yet making the customer feel relaxed. No wonder their salon is doing so well…they are able to convey that message quite well' concluded the Saffron gym leader. She was fully aware of what salespeople wanted people to think due to her ESP combined with her psychic Pokémon expertise.

"Hey-hey Stu! How're you doing?" inquired the Nimbasa gym leader. Stu appeared to be a slim man in his early fifties with short silver grey hair. His outfit consisted of a pair of navy jeans, black sneakers plus an icy blue shirt. "I'm doing quite fine Elesa. Where is the Kanto gym leader you told me about?" replied the male. "She's right here. Stu, this is Sabrina. Her gym is located in Saffron. Sabrina, meet Stu Deeoh. He's the manager of Pokéstar Studio in Virbank city in Unova" informed the Nimbasa gym leader. "Pleased to meet you Sabrina. I've been told by Elesa that you're a very skilled psychic Pokémon trainer" told the man as he extended his hand. The female was glad she was wearing sunglasses – her eyes were probably as wide as saucers. "Nice to meet you too mr. Deeoh. I am a psychic type gym leader like Elesa said. But I still have a lot to learn" replied the Saffron gym leader. She knew there were at least two Elite four members who were using psychic types as well. One of them was Will from the Johto league and she was quite sure there was a trainer called Catelyn or something over in Unova. "Sabrina told me that she wanted to try out as a model or actress. She has taken drama lessons plus the modeling that I showed you. But do you think she'll be a perfect match for any upcoming movies?" asked the young woman. Stu looked at the other woman in the room. "I think she could be a good candidate for a drama movie. I need someone to play a slightly dark queen in an upcoming movie about a princess. Your experience with psychic Pokémon plus your stature can be the combination we need. BUT…I'm afraid we have to give your hair an overhaul. Your clothes could do an upgrade as well" replied the man. The hair comment made the pine-green haired woman a bit uneasy. She cut her hair only twice a year for starters. Secondly, the long green hair made her feel a bit more feminine.

"What do you say?" inquired the young woman while she looked at the hair dresser. The oldest brother stepped forwards. "I don't think the ends of your hair are in good condition. In addition, your hair is weighing down your features. What I think we can do is to cut off about ten inches plus adding some layers. The majority of your hair will reach your chest while the shortest layers will be shoulder length. Your face is slightly squared, so cutting your hair really short won't suit you. So don't worry – I am not going to shave it off" assured the hairdresser. She let out a sigh of relief when she heard that they would let her keep a good amount of length. Having shorter hair would probably save her a lot of time in the shower as well as conditioner. "I think we can update your colour a little too. I think we can use a blue tint to make it look more seafoam green. That would look stunning with your purple eyes. What do you think?" replied the hairdresser. "I think it sounds all right. Tints aren't permanent, are they?" asked Sabrina as she walked over to the chair. "No, they're not. They will probably last for a couple months" informed the man as he pulled out a golden coloured hair cutting gown. The female felt him tie it around her neck while the other female was talking with the agent. He had a meeting to attend today, but was going to contact Saffron gym in a couple days.

"I have to say – it's not often I have a Kanto gym leader in my chair. How long have you been a gym leader?" asked the hair stylist. "About five-six years or so" replied the Saffron gym leader while he snipped away some of her hair. She glimpsed at the strands that laid at the floor and immediately regretted it. The strands that laid there were nearly as long as her shampoo bottle. "Don't worry miss. I'm not going to give you short hair like Elesa. May I ask why you want to switch to acting? I may get modeling, but I haven't heard about a lot of Kanto or Johto gym leaders appear in movies" told the man as he stretched out a chunk of her green hair. "Hm…I think it's the mental part. An actor has to become the character they're portraying if I'm right. I thought it could be worth a try since I got ESP" replied the female. "Really now? That's incredible! All right – please tilt your head to the right" instructed the hair stylist. She did as she was told before she closed her eyes. The Saffron gym leader tried to focus her mind a little while she let the male do his job. "Good job…tilt your head the other way please" said the hair dresser. The woman tilted her head the other way while she listened to the murmur behind her. She heard the duo discuss some upcoming movies that would be released next year. Afterwards, the hair stylist applied some tint to her hair while Elesa was running some errands.

"Time to rinse out your tint" announced the male. She went over to the sink and got her hair washed. It was a lovely feeling to have someone else wash your hair – maybe she should go here more often. They went back to the chair so she could get her hair blow-dried. 'So far so good' thought the greenette as she saw the hair dry. "Whoa. That's really good!" exclaimed the other woman as she entered the salon. "I agree with her" told the female as she glanced at the hair stylist. "Thank you Sabrina. It was a pleasure to have you" replied the male. "Oh. I got something to match your hair. Go try it on!" told the Nimbasa gym leader as she handed her a pale pink bag. Sabrina went into the toilet and looked at what was in the bag. It was a pair of snowy white jeans plus a spaghetti strapped violet top. 'Hm. Now I get why she wanted to know my measurements' mused the young woman as she put on her new outfit. She exited the room after putting the old outfit in the bag. "Whoa. You look so…stylish!" stated the young woman with a huge smile at her face. The Saffron gym leader turned around so she could look herself in the mirror. She felt her eyes widen again. The white jeans gave her the curves she needed while the top emphasized her eyes. Her new haircut made her face look less severe and the new colour made her skin look brighter. 'My new challengers better watch out. The gym leader in Saffron has just gotten an upgrade' thought the female with a small grin at her face.

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I hope this chapter met your expectations. Please let me know your thoughts in a review or PM!

DrafteeDragon: Thank you for the review, I really appreciate it! I hope you found the other chapters interesting as well.


	14. N represents Nocturnal (Janine)

I think it's time to introduce some of the family and couples constellations. This chapter takes place in Fucshia, which was where Koga used to be the gym leader. But there is a new gym leader in town. And her name is Janine!

* * *

 **N represents Nocturnal.**

'Hm?' thought the girl as she heard a sound. She immediately looked around in her room to see if she was alone. The faint moon light lit up the room a little, which allowed her to see. But the only thing in there apart from herself was Ariados. 'Looks like Ariados have noticed the sound too' noticed Janine when she saw the Pokémon shift a little. "I heard that too Ariados. We better check out what this is…could be a burglar" muttered the female. Her father Koga was spending the night in the elite four facility since he was facing two challengers the next day. Her mother was a trainer as well, but she was not as strong as her daughter or husband. The Fuschia gym leader could not blame her since it was only five years since her father got an invitation to join the elite four. Having a job as a hairdresser and makeup artist was a lot safer – especially since the salon in Johto was very popular. 'Pretty sure that noise came from the area where the kitchen is. Maybe the burglar tried to get in through our garden' pondered the girl as she got out of her bed. "Ariados" muttered the Ariados as she took out her small whip. "Just in case Ariados. Burglars can be pretty nasty" whispered the purple-haired female while she adjusted her low-lit torch. Her partner was silent, which was it way to reluctantly agree.

"Come out Crobat!" muttered the female as she threw a Pokéball into the air. The said Pokémon appeared instantly. "Crobat!" hissed the Crobat while it flapped its four wings. "We think there's a burglar or someone in the house. We need you to find it" informed Janine. "Crobat" replied the Pokémon before his owner checked the lock. 'Nobody has tampered with it. I can't see anyone outside either. Guess the coast is clear…for now' concluded the girl as she opened the door a little. She slid a small mirror underneath to make sure there was nobody in the hallway. The only thing that the mirror revealed however was the ceiling plus the walls. "Let's get out" whispered the Fuschia gym leader to her partners. All three of them exited the room and looked around in the hallway for anything unusual or something that did not used to be there. 'Pretty sure they didn't get to the bathroom since it's right next to my bedroom. The noise would be higher plus that the window is too small for someone to get in. Doubt the burglar is in my parent's bedroom either. Dad left his Golbat behind, so it would have attacked the intruder if he or she came in that way. That only leaves the kitchen plus the living room. I'll go for the kitchen first since it has a lot of dangerous items that can be used to attack someone' concluded the female.

She leaned herself up against the wall as she sidestepped towards the kitchen. Her Ariados was climbing towards the ceiling while Crobat was staying near the opposite wall. Sidestepping while leaning against the wall was one of the first shinobi tricks her father had taught her. In a hallway like this, it would be easier to get into a room plus staying hidden. The same noise could be heard again. 'Sounds a bit like someone is tapping at glass' thought the amethyst-haired girl as she took a new step. She wondered why someone would make sounds like that. Could it be that someone was already in the house and was waiting for a signal? Or perhaps it was a small bug Pokémon that wanted to get out? The girl approached the kitchen door with her whip in the right hand. Her low-lit torch was in the left hand. Her Ariados was now right above the door frame while she was behind the opening to the room. "All right Ariados! You can use string shot to open the door. Crobat, use your supersonic to see who or what is inside the room" muttered Janine. Her Ariados shot out a white string from its mouth while Crobat was hovering on the right side of the door.

Once her bug partner had opened the door, her bat-like Pokémon started to use its supersonic. The female plus her other Pokémon was silent as the one in the air was using its skills. Who could be inside the living room at this hour? Was it something or someone sinister? "Crobat!" hissed the Pokémon after it had used its supersonic to scan the room. "You saw something?" whispered the Fuschia gym leader. "Crobat" confirmed the Crobat as it glanced towards the living room. "Was it a human?" inquired the girl. "Cro-bat" replied her partner while it shook its head. "Was it a large or small Pokémon?" asked the amethyst-haired female. "Cro…bat" answered the Crobat. 'A small Pokémon then. I better get some full heals and a super potion in case it is injured' thought Janine. "Crobat, please talk to the Pokémon. I need to you to guard the door Ariados – it may try to flee" told the girl. "Ariados!" replied the Ariados. She hurried back to her room as quiet as possible so her mother did not wake up. Once inside, the Fuschia gym leader searched around in her 'Pokémon locker' for some medicine. 'There we go. Let's see who's hiding inside the living room. It can't be a dangerous or high-level Pokémon since Crobat did not look that concerned' concluded the purple-haired female as she went back to the living room. She turned on the soft light flashlight to see where the culprit was. Her eyes then spotted her partner flying above the sofa.

An injured Hoothoot laid on the piece of furniture with its gaze now on the human. She noticed that it had a dull look in its eyes plus a purple wound on its stomach. Janine had seen this look many times during her or her father's Pokémon battles. This poor avian Pokémon was poisoned. That explained why it had trouble flying. "Ssssh…I'm not going to hurt you. Please try to calm it down Crobat" muttered the female. "Crobat, Cro-bat, Crobat" said Crobat while it looked down at the Hoothoot. "Hoot-hoot" replied the bird Pokémon. "All right. I'm just going to spray this on your wound first. I'm then going to spray this on you to get your energy back. Then, I'm releasing you" informed Janine as she approached the injured Pokémon. She kept a keen eye on the Hoothoot to make sure it did not panick. The girl could not spot any twitching or fear in its eyes. It was probably too ill to move and had hopefully understood her intentions. She removed the cap on the full heal when she was about three feet in front of the Hoothoot. "Here we go" muttered the Fuschia gym leader as she checked the spraying function. She extended her arm in a slow manner so she did not scare the Pokémon. "Hoothoot" cooed the bird Pokémon as the female sprayed the full heal onto its wound. It did not take more than a minute until the poisoned wound had started to fade. She then sprayed some super potion onto the Hoothoot so it regained some of its energy back.

"Good bird. I'll just open the window now so you can leave" told the amethyst-haired girl before she approached the window. She unhinged the locks after making sure that the Pokémon had not gotten any worse. Fortunately, it was getting onto its small feet already. "There! Off you go" told the girl after she had opened the window. "Hoot-hoot!" stated the Hoothoot as it flapped its tiny wings. The Pokémon was airborne just twenty seconds later and left the room. She closed the window once the Hoothoot had left the garden area. "Time to get back to bed. Humans aren't nocturnal like the Hoothoot is" laughed Janine as she went back to her bedroom. She was aware of that ninjas preferred being outside during the night, but she knew there were others who could protect Fuschia just as well. And who was that? It was the nocturnal Pokémon who lived in the shadows.

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Any opinions or thoughts? Please let me know in a PM or review!


	15. O stands for Orchid (Moss)

Time for a new chapter! This is featuring one of my favourite pairings. Let's see how Roark and Gardenia are doing!

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 **O stands for Orchid.**

Some shuffling could be heard inside the (not so) secret base in the underground. The female had decided to do some redecoration while her boyfriend was at work. She found the base quite devoid of items despite that he spent a lot of time here. The only furniture there was a bed with sapphire blue bedsheets, a desk made out of maple wood with a matching chair, a TV plus two soft chairs. Gardenia smiled as she started to unpack the good she had been given by a new furniture company. They had hired her grass Pokémon in a campaign for environmentally friendly furniture that would soon be launched in Sinnoh. She had agreed after some negotiation on the working hours. After a week of filming plus a week of editing, the commercial was ready to be shown to the media. The advert showed her Pokémon sleeping at the sofa or rolling around on a carpet that had been made by recycled materials. Since this had resulted in a notable raise in sales, the company told her that she could choose a furniture collection as a compensation. It did not take her long time to decide considering the 'man cave'.

'I think this deep green rug will suit the maple wood quite well. But I wonder what I should do with the smaller cushions. Maybe I can keep them in my house' pondered the young woman. She laid out the rug first before she laid the smaller cushions in the large plastic bag. Their replacements were a pair of larger cushions with a tartan pattern. The chocolate brown colour with deep verdant green accent stripes matched the rest of the interior quite well. Roark was not someone who enjoyed bright colours like Volkner or Flint did. 'Only two more things to go. The pictures plus the fake plant' concluded the ginger-haired female as she picked up the sleek navy blue frames from her bag. He had actually asked her to bring these with her since he had forgotten them during his last visit in Eterna. The fake flower however was a simple orchid. It had a slender dark green stem while the flower itself was cardinal red. She felt a bit down that she could not bring a real plant, but there was not much light available in the underground.

'There. Looks a lot cozier now' thought the female after the new furniture had been added to the secret base. Adding a bit of green plus some patterns gave it a fresher look without making it too flashy or feminine. Topaz eyes glanced down at her wristwatch. 'He should be here soon. I wonder how he'll react' pondered the Eterna gym leader. The young man was not someone who had anger issues, but he was by no means a pushover. He was after all the safety leader in the mines. "Gardenia? Are you in here?" shouted a familiar voice. "I'm right here! But close your eyes. I want to show you something" replied the young woman as she exited the cave with a smile at her face. Her boyfriend raised a brow in wonder. "OK…I'm a little anxious about this. Especially since you had lit up those scented candles in my living room last time" chuckled the male. It had been one of her less successful attempts for a dating night at home. But how could she know that he hated the scent of magnolia? Good thing he really enjoyed the movie that Candice had recommended. Brycen was an excellent actor while the action scenes were top notch. "I promise there aren't going to be any scented candles. In fact, it doesn't involve any scents at all" assured the 26-year old. "All right then. This should be interesting" replied the auburn-haired man with a calmer voice. She laid her right hand over his eyes while she led him into the base with her left hand.

"Open your eyes!" shouted the female before she removed her hand. He blinked his eyes after putting his glasses back on. She noticed that his eyes widened as he observed the secret base. "Whoa…I've got new furniture" muttered the young man as he took in the new surroundings. "Do you like it?" inquired the ginger haired woman while crossing her fingers. "It's a bit different from what I'm used to. But that's not a bad difference, I swear" assured the Oreburgh gym leader. 'Phew. Looks like it's not a complete miss then' thought the young woman as she let out a sigh of relief. She felt quite awkward for not knowing what her boyfriend liked or disliked. Especially since they had been a couple for just about four years. "Just a question though. What kind of flower is that? I don't think I have seen it in your gym" asked the guy after he had studied the new additions in his base. "Oh – it's an orchid. It's a fake one however. Sinnoh is too cold for orchids to be found in the wild" added the young woman. "No wonder it looks so exotic then. May I ask you why you've decorated my base?" inquired the 26-year old while he looked at his girlfriend. "A new furniture asked if they could shoot my Pokémon in a commercial. I said yes and I could choose a furniture collection as a compensation. I thought your secret base could use some new furniture. You deserve it since you spend so much time here" told Gardenia as she circled her slender arms around his neck. He smiled before he bent down to give her a soft kiss. "I love it Gardenia. Thanks a lot for the gift – I love it. The colours are really nice as well" replied the male with an appreciative look at his face. His reply made her face light up in a bright smile. "Awesome! Why don't we turn on the TV? I heard they were going to interview some foreign gym leaders today" suggested the female. He nodded before he went over to his desk.

"By the way, I got something from someone at work. He had to get rid of some furniture since he was going to move to a smaller apartment. I managed to snag this cool little fridge that works perfectly down here" told Roark as he gestured towards a snow white fridge that was partially hidden under the desk. "That's so cool! You can store food or drinks here now" stated the Eterna gym leader as she adjusted the pillows. "Mhm. So that means I can let you stay here overnight if you want. Or I can stay here in case I have to work later shifts" replied the young man after he had taken two bottles of diet soda out of the fridge. "I REALLY hope you're not planning on staying late every night. We both know that you're a bit of a workaholic sometimes" deadpanned the young woman. Her boyfriend looked quite sheepish; she had hit the nail on the head this time. It was not unusual that he worked overtime or took someone else's shift if he had the time. But the positive thing was the extra money or shifts he did not have to work. "Let's do some relaxation now. Do you remember who the gym leaders were?" inquired the auburn-haired male as he sat down in front of the TV. "I'm pretty sure there was a normal-type gym leader plus a gym leader from Kalos. I haven't been to Kalos yet, so that should be exciting" replied the ginger-haired young woman. She turned on the TV after they had both made themselves comfortable. A solid relationship combined with sturdy furniture were essential in order to create a home. This was something that both of them could agree on even if they had some differences between them.

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Are you a Roark x Gardenia fan as well? If you are, please check out my fanfic "A change might be good, no?". As always, reviews or constructive criticism are appreciated!


	16. P represents Portrayal (Viola x Valerie)

Another week, another chapter! It's summer now and I'm enjoying the warm weather as well as the scenery. This brings me over to the topic of this chapter. Aesthetics is a very important of the Pokémon games. It contributes to the feel of the game and the experience the player has. So give a round of applause for Viola and Valerie!

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 **P represents Portrayal.**

'Whoa. This is so…exquisite' thought the female as she entered the gym. It had a strong resemblance to the old houses she had seen in Ecruteak. The building itself had the same architecture as a traditional Japanese house with colours to match. A lot of the furniture had a vintage appearance that went well with the building style. But Viola noticed that the furniture in this gym had no signs of wear and tear that real vintage furniture had. 'I bet Valerie or the girls working here bought the furniture brand new. Or maybe they customized furniture they bought at a flea market. There's no wonder why Valerie is such an excellent designer…she definitely has a great eye for aesthetics. I better make sure to ask her if I can use this place for future shoots. It's not very common to find buildings like these in Kalos' concluded the woman. Her sister had asked her to take some photos of Valerie for a portrait interview. Due to the number of challengers at the gym, they had to postpone the shoot for ten days. Alexa was fine with that since the article would take some time to write. 'My sister is quite ambitious. Interviewing all the gym leaders to inform the public is not an easy task. But we get a good amount of money for it, so I guess I can't-'. "Viola? Is that you?" inquired a soft voice. The blonde turned around to see who it was. It turned out to be the young woman who would be featured in the article. She was dressed in a stunning icy purple kimono-style dress that reached her thighs. Silver grey white petals decorated the shoulders as well as the chest of the kimono. Around her trim waist was a plain navy blue obi that matched her stockings. A pair of sparkling silvery-gray Mary Janes with two-inch block heels completed the exotic yet traditional look that the fairy type trainer was famous for. "Hello Valerie, it's nice to see you again! I haven't seen you since Clemont hosted that cherry blossom party in Luminose" greeted the older female. "Same. I've been having quite a number of challengers lately. I suspect it may have something to do with the new train routes in Luminose" replied the female.

"All right Valerie. Is this the outfit you have chosen for our shoot?" inquired Viola as she looked at the ensemble. "It is. I usually wear pink or grey, so I thought this could be a good choice. A new outfit or design attracts more attention according to my experience" replied the inky-haired girl. The young woman silently agreed to her statement. Being in the artistic industry herself, she knew that new things was a sure way to catch the public's attention. "Do you have any idea of which Pokémon you want to be photographed with? I need a photo of you, one of your Pokémon or Pokémons plus one of you with a Pokémon. I thought we could do a photoshoot inside the gym since it can be a great background. Are you all right with that or did you have something else in your mind?" inquired Viola. The girl shook her head. "That's perfectly fine with me. It'll make my Pokémon feel more at ease as well. I think Sylveon will be the best for the shoot since it's the most exotic Pokémon in my team. Sylveon, come out!" called the designer before she threw a Pokéball into the air. The said Pokémon appeared moments later. 'What a beauty!' thought the older female. "All right – I think we can start with Sylveon. I would like your Pokémon to stand in front of the entrance. It'll make Sylveon the natural center point of my photo" informed Viola as she prepared her camera. The younger woman nodded in agreement before she said something that the older woman did not understand. But the Pokémon walked over to the entrance of the gym with a calm look on its face.

'I doubt I'll need the strongest flash since the room is well-lit. But I better use a low to medium level strength to make sure the room does not look too dark' decided the Santalune gym leader. "Here we go! Smile for me Sylveon!" told the female as she started to take some pictures. She took about ten photos before she did an assessment. Two of them did not look very good since the Pokémon had blinked, three of them were too dark, one was blurry while the other four looked quite pretty. "Great job. You're up next Valerie. What kind of vibe do you want your portrait to have?" inquired the photographer. She knew that each gym leader had their own style that was not just reflected in their Pokémon team. The woman had noticed that gym leaders with stone or earth Pokémon for example often had a clean and structured fashion style. Their gyms often had a natural feel to them as well. But grass or bug type gyms often had more colours or details in their gyms. Rose pink, moss green, earthy brown combined with flower or plants were common features. "I think this wall here would be nice. It matches my dress if you know what I'm saying" replied the Laverre gym leader as she gestured towards a wall at the opposite side. It had a simple yet traditional Japanese landscape painted on it. "I think it'll look great. Just stand next to the tree and give me some happy faces" instructed the older female. The younger female turned out to be a great model since it only took ten photos to get an excellent photo. "Now for the big guns – I want you to join Sylveon on the next photo. Does your Sylveon know petal dance, will-o-wisp or anything that could make the photo look a bit ethereal?" inquired the blonde. The young woman knitted her thin brows – she appeared to be thinking quite hard. "I think we could use fairy wind. But do you think it may mess up the flash?" asked the inky-haired woman. "Not if your Sylveon can turn down the strength of the light itself. Your gym has a lot of natural light, so I'll just turn down the flash to a lower level. Just give me a minute so I can adjust my camera" told the woman. She could hear the younger female talk in that weird language again while she turned down the flash.

'Can she speak the same language as her partner?' wondered Viola as she pressed two buttons on her camera. She then took a trial photo, which was a bit dark. "I'm ready Valerie. Let's begin!" stated the female as she zoomed in. "OK Sylveon. Use fairy wind – make sure the light is not too strong" ordered Valerie. "Sylveoooon!" shouted the Sylveon as it started to release its attack. The Santalune gym leader zoomed out a bit after she had taken some close up shots of the duo. 'Looks like fairy wind is giving some sort of silvery sheen. It's a bit like the silver wind attack I've seen some bug types have' recalled the woman. Not only that, but the wind gave the photo some movements as well. "Great job Sylveon. How did the photos turn out Viola?" asked the younger woman. "Come over here and have a look. I think I got a couple of good shots" told the blonde. She connected her camera to her laptop so the designer could get a better look. Some of the photos were completely useless since the silvery wind hid parts of their faces or the design on her dress. "I think that one looks really good. It looks like we're standing in a silvery rainstorm" said the young female when they looked at photo number eleven. The flash had reflected just right – making it look like they were surrounded by miniscule silver specks. Sylveon had a focused expression in its eyes while the Laverre gym leader looked at her partner in a caring way. "I like that one too. Sylveon looks really strong while you have a sweet look at your face. Let's pick out the photos we took of you" replied the older female. After some consideration, the younger woman selected a photo where she glanced to the right. "Great – I'll send these photos to my sister. I hope I can get to photograph here again sometime. Your gym is quite spectacular" stated Viola. "Thank you Viola. I do want my gym to show what kind of trainer I am. I suppose we are a bit similar that way…especially considering our professions outside the gym" answered the inky-haired female. "Mhm. See you later!" shouted the woman as she left the gym, waving good bye. "See you later. Take care!" replied the female while she waved back. The blonde could not help but to smile. Being able to visit such stunning gyms as well as meeting such interesting people was the best part of her job. Especially since she apparently had found someone who was just as interested in artistry as herself.

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I hope the chapter met your expectations. Please let me know in a review or a PM!


	17. Q is for Quest (Aaron x Bugsy)

Happy 4th July Americans! Time for a new chapter that features some of our youngest gym leaders and elite four members. They're both guys who like to bug people...and their names are Bugsy and Aaron!

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 **Q is for Quest.**

"Hey, come here!" whispered the guy. His friends nodded as he walked towards the tall grass. The duo had come to the Petalburg forest on a quest for new bug type Pokémon. One of them was a gym leader while the other was a member of the elite four. But despite the difference in rank, they had several things in common. They were both 20 years old guys who shared a passion for bug Pokémon. When they met each other on a conference in Lilycove for bug or grass users, they became friends almost instantly. The duo had agreed to meet each other at the next Hoenn conference after exchanging e-mails. It turned out to be a good plan since Rustboro was hosting the next conference. Both of them agreed to meet in Rustboro two days prior to the conference since it was June. And all bug type trainers knew that bug Pokémon were the most active between May and August.

"Do you see anything?" replied the male as he stepped closer. A combination of birch sap combined with lilac made his nose tickle a little. "Yeah. I think those are Silcoon's. What do you think?" whispered Aaron as he pointed at something that looked like a cocoon. Bugsy squinted a little as he looked at the creatures that laid under the tree. They were about two feet long and had spikes all over their bodies. "Are they white or pink? Pretty sure a Silcoon is not pink" told the guy in a low voice as he approached his friend. "It's a bit hard to tell. Do you think we can get closer to them?" muttered the other male. "Yeah, they're nearly twenty feet away. But we better be quiet" whispered the Johto gym leader. The duo went down on all fours so they could crawl a bit closer. Crawling was better than walking if you tried to approach a Pokémon that was not too dangerous. The duo stopped once they were about ten feet away. When the sunlight peeked through the foliage above, they saw that the supposed Pokémon were ivory white. "Yes! That's definitely Silcoons!" cheered the Sinnoh elite four member in a low voice. "What kind of Pokémon do you have with you?" inquired the other guy. His friend was about to ask when they heard some rustling in a bush eight feet to the right. Suddenly, a group of four Shroomish emerged from the grass. "Crap! They don't look very happy!" hissed the male. His lemon green eyes looked at the quartet while figuring out which Pokémon he should use. "Hey – let's show those Shroomish what we're made of. I'll use my Scyther" told the guy on his left side. "Great. I'll go with Heracross then. COME OUT HERACROSS!" shouted the greenette as he threw the Pokéball towards the grass. "GO SCYTHER!" yelled the lavender-haired guy as he tossed his Pokéball into the air. Both of the Pokémon appeared instantly. "Heracross, use night slash at the two on the right!" ordered the male. "Use quick attack on the two on the right Scyther!" told the other guy. The bug type duo did as they were told without any hesitation. Both of the Shroomish on the left were blasted into the grass while the other duo flied into some bushes nearby. "AWESOME!" exclaimed the duo. Their partners appeared to be happy with their job as well.

"Let's hope those Silcoons did not flee. We probably made a lot of noise" said the older male after making his Heracross return. "True. But I hope we didn't scare them too much. Maybe they'll think that we are going to fight them using our best Pokémon" suggested the younger guy after sending Scyther back to its Pokéball. The duo returned their attention to the two bug type Pokémon to see how they had reacted. For some reason, neither of them had moved. "That's odd" muttered Bugsy as they crept a little closer to them. "I think I just found out why they didn't move. Look at their eye" told Aaron as he pointed at the Pokémon. Both of them had their eyes closed. "No kidding! Were they asleep the whole time?" laughed the male in a low voice. "Looks like that. Let's catch them" suggested the guy as he pulled out a net ball. His friend nodded before they gently pressed their net balls at one of the Silcoons. Once they were inside, they crossed their fingers. The button glowed red for a couple seconds until it returned to normal. "YES! We caught'em!" stated the duo before they high fived one another. "This calls for a celebration! It won't be long until we are the lucky owners of a Beautifly" told the younger guy as they navigated through the long grass. It tickled against his bare legs, but not in an unpleasant way. "I agree. I think there is a cool café close to the gym" recalled the older male as he took a somewhat long step to avoid a puddle. Both of them stepped onto the shorter grass before they walked back to Rustboro. Sunlight peered through the foliage above while a slight breeze made the twigs move a little. The sound of bug Pokémon above made them smile. It seemed as if this was quite a lively forest with a lot of wildlife.

"Don't you think Hoenn is a bit warmer than Johto? Or isn't it really that much of a difference?" inquired the elite four member as they walked up the hill. "It is a clear difference. The weather is warmer plus that this forest is more lush than the ones in Johto or Kanto. How're the forests in Sinnoh?" asked the Azalea gym leader while glancing at his friend. "They're quite dense. Eterna forest as well as the ones around the lakes have lots of trees and other plants. However, the north of Sinnoh is really cold while the rest is a bit chilly. The safari zone is really unique though. It has a lot of marshlands combined with lots of grass" informed the guy in an excited voice. Traveling to other regions had made him realize that his home was a lot cooler compared to other places. But they did however have a more varied landscape compared to Kanto for instance. "I'm glad we get to catch up like this. There aren't a lot of bug type enthusiasts in Johto or Kanto at my age. The majority of them are kids or young teenagers. And I'm pretty much the only gym leader who is not 25 years old or more" admitted the younger male as they turned to the left. "I agree. I'm the youngest one in the elite four while all the gym leaders are at least six years older than me. The only one who is at my age is into fighting types. She's a nice person, but we're not exactly close" replied the greenette as they walked past the flower shop. "I see. I'm really happy we met each other in Lilycove. I had no idea that my foreign trip would result in a new friendship" admitted the amethyst-haired male as they approached Rustboro city. Their feet were now touching cobblestones instead of lush grass and the sound of bug Pokémon had been replaced with human voices. They duo was happy to return to the civilization despite their preference for the forest and its Pokémon. Human inventions such as computers made it easier for them to stay in touch. Finding information or stay updated on news all over the world was not a hard task either. Ships or trains made it possible to travel to other cities or even regions to discover other cities. Or – in their case – meet other people that shared age as well as interests. Nature was great, but the inventions of humans had its advantages as well.

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I thought this pairing would be natural due to their age as well as their interest in bug types. Please let me know what you think in a review or PM!


	18. R stands for Relations (Pryce x Candice)

Whoa. I can't belive I just have eight chapters or so left. But this chapter is for those of you who are traveling to visit your relatives. I thought it would be fun to write about Pryce given that he's one of the few seniors with a family. So let's see how it goes when his grandchild comes to visit him in Johto!

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 **R stands for Relations.**

'She should be here any minute now' thought the male as he looked at the clock. It was 7 PM and he had received a message from his visitor two hours ago. She was just about to enter Mount Mortar after her three day stay in Ecruteak. "You're looking worried. Something on your mind?" inquired Sheila. "I hope she's able to get through Mount Mortar without any trouble. It's like a maze in there" told Pryce as he turned on the water boiler. "Don't she have a Pokénav or something like that? I remember your son gave her one as a birthday present" replied the woman after she had opened her fridge. "He did. I guess I'm just worrying too much. She's a strong gym leader too, so the wild Pokémon probably won't be an issue" recalled the man as he took the vegetables out of the bag. His wife smiled as she laid the drinks inside the fridge.

A small 'bip-bip' suddenly made the duo turn their head towards the Pokégear on the table. The Mahogany gym leader picked it up and saw there was a new message from his grandchild there. "I just exited Mt. Mortar. Should be in Mahogany very soon. Can't WAIT to see you! And some smiley faces" read the male after he opened the message. "Great! She should be here in twenty minutes or less. Let's get the soup ready – I've done the guest bed" replied the woman with a big smile at her face. He nodded after putting down the Pokégear on the table again. A smile formed at his face while he chopped up the vegetables. 'It's a little funny just how similar we are. She likes ice Pokémon, just like me. We both are one of the highest ranked gym leaders in our regions plus that we have a Piloswine. But I have to admit that she's probably a peppier gym leader than I would ever be' pondered the ice type fan as he finished cutting up the carrots. His son had moved to Sinnoh after taking a degree in marketing with a minor in logistics. He met a lovely woman three years after completing his degree and married her five years later. The pair then had a girl as well as a boy. His grandson was studying economy in Unova while his granddaughter had become a gym leader in Snowpoint city.

A knock on the door snapped the male out of his thoughts. He laid the chopped up celery in the soup while Sheila went to open the door. "Candice! You're finally here! Come in" told the female after giving the younger woman a big hug. "Thanks grandma. It's been a while. But I'm really happy to be here" replied Candice as she walked into the living room. She was wearing her usual gym leader outfit since it was nearly summer now. "Hello Candice. Lovely to see you again" greeted Pryce as he gave her a hug. "Nice to see you too grandpa! I can tell you're both doing good. Oh, I got some berries here that can't be found in Johto. Or at least I haven't seen them in Johto so far" told the young woman before she handed him a small container. He opened it up to see what was inside. There were three berries there that looked like azure strawberries, two round berries that were forest green plus a yellow one that was bigger than the others. "I think I've seen the yellow one earlier. Isn't it a berry that will restore the health of your Pokémon a bit?" inquired the man. "It is. This is a sitrus berry. You have the lum berries here that will cure any kind of status problem. Then we have the rawst berries that can cure burns. Pretty sure that comes in handy when you're up against fire types. Apparently, the trainers think that a fire type is enough. But that's until we make one of our Pokémon use earthquake or surf!" laughed the Snowpoint gym leader.

Her laughter made him smile as well. The Mahogany gym leader had made sure to teach his partners ground or water type moves to deal with pesky fire Pokémon users. Fortunately, most ice types were able to learn water moves such as waterfall or surf. "I think the soup is ready. Let's sit down and have something to eat" told Sheila. "Sure. Grandpa, are your Pokémon at the Pokémon center?" inquired the female as she went into the kitchen with her relatives. "No. Everyone is here except from Frosslass" replied the older male as he filled water into a mug. "Awesome! I thought we could let our Pokémon catch up with one another after we've had dinner. If that's all right with you off course" suggested the inky-haired woman as she helped her grandmother with the tableware. A smile formed at his face. His partners had only met other Pokémon during battles or special training lately. Catching up with Pokémon that they were familiar with was a great idea. "I'm fine with that idea. My partners haven't seen a lot of familiar faces since your last visit" told the ice type trainer as he poured water into the three glasses. "Fantastic! I bet my Abomasnow will be thrilled to meet Piloswine again. They seem to get along" informed the young woman, her hazel brown eyes sparkling.

"Enough Pokémon talk. Let's sit down and tell what's been going on since the last time you were here. It's been nearly five months after all" told the older female as she joined them. Both gym leaders smiled as the younger one started to talk about her life in Sinnoh. She had apparently done some special training with her Sneasel to make it a bit more obedient. It had fortunately worked and it had involved into a much kinder Weavile. There had been more challengers coming from other regions such as Unova or Kalos lately as well. Many of them had Pokémon that she had never seen before. Similar to his grandchild, the older man had done some special training with his Pokémon as well. He had not faced as many foreign challengers as her however. "Are you going to the conference in Hoenn next year? I'm definitely going there with Volkner" stated Candice after she had eaten the last bit of soup in her bowl. "I thought about that. I haven't been to Hoenn in a year or so. Which city is hosting the conference?" inquired Pryce as he refilled his glass of water. His age combined with his marriage meant that he could not travel as much as he used to. But traveling to warm regions like Hoenn or southern Unova was definitely something the male wanted to do soon. "Uhm…pretty sure it was either Lilycove or Mossdeep. Sootopolis could not host since they're doing some restoration work on their cave" informed the young woman. "Sounds good. I'll definitely consider it if Sheila wants to go there" told the man as he looked at his wife. Unsurprisingly, she smiled. "Lilycove sounds fun. I've heard they got an amazing shopping center there in addition to the Pokémon contest hall" said the brunette. The Mahogany gym leader let out a small laugh while he prayed that his wife would do her shopping while he was at the conference. Those who said that shopping with your wife or girlfriend should be considered an extreme sport were absolutely right.

"Thanks for the food grandma and grandpa. I'll let my Pokémon out in the garden so they can get something to eat. I brought some Sinnoh snacks for your Pokémon as well" told the black-haired female as she stood up from her chair. "Great. I'll come with you Candice" replied the man. The duo went out in the back yard with their Pokéballs. It was getting dark, but the temperature was not too bad. "COME OUT EVERYONE!" shouted the duo in unison as they released their Pokémon. All of their Pokémon emerged immediately. "All right guys! I'm pretty sure you already know my grandpa's Pokémon. We'll be staying here for two days until we're going back home. Make sure your snacks with the others Snover. Those goodies can't be bought here in Johto" informed the female after handing the said Pokémon a bag of snacks. "Snover!" stated the small tree-like Pokémon before it started to hand out snacks to the Johto Pokémon. "Abomasnow!" stated her Abomasnow while raising its giant arms. "Pilo-swine" muttered the Piloswine as he approached the tree-like Pokémon. The latter smiled as it saw the familiar Pokémon. "Seel!" exclaimed Seel after Snover had given it a blue candy. "Looks like they're enjoying each other company. It's almost like when I'm meeting my cousins again" laughed the Snowpoint gym leader. The ice Pokémon trainer could not help but to smile as well. Having relatives over was something that definitely brought some smile and warmth into his life as well as his partners. Especially when it was his children or grandchildren.

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The reason I chose Candice was not just due to her preference for ice types. Both of them are the seventh gym leader in their region, they have a Piloswine or Sneasel at some point plus that their eyes are in a similar colour. Plus that I think the bubbly personality Candice has should balance out the somewhat stern nature Pryce has.

Please let me know what you think in a PM or review. They're much appreciated!


	19. S is for Subzero (Brycen x Wulfric)

I hope everyone has had a happy summer so far! I decided to continue with the ice gym leader theme. Our second couple has actually more in common than the first one. Let's see what Brycen and Wulfric are up to!

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 **S is for Subzero.**

'Inhale…exhale…' thought the male as he inhaled some air through his nose. The cold oxygen had a refreshing effect on his sinuses as well as his lungs. Both of his eyes were closed at the moment since he tried to stay focused. Brycen had gotten up at 7 AM sharp to do his morning exercises. He had traveled to Snowbelle city in Kalos to shoot a TV special for the Christmas season. Since the said holiday was just six weeks away, there was no time to lose. The said city was the home of an ice gym with a highly ranked leader as well. 'I wonder what he is like. I haven't really met any ice type specialists apart from Lorelei' recalled the ice Pokémon trainer. He met the said woman two years ago when she was in Kalos for an elite four panel. She apparently had a calculated and logic battle style that mirrored his own. It made the male a bit intrigued given how different they were otherwise. She was a woman who lived in the east while he was a man who lived in the west.

He exhaled some air while opening his steely blue eyes. The sky was still deep inky blue, yet the ivory white snow sparkled like pulverized diamonds. A smile formed at his face as he went back to the movie set. He spotted an Abomasnow standing right next to the boutique that sold clothes. 'Maybe they're using the Pokémon as a security guard' mused the Icirrus gym leader as he passed the boutique. There were no people outside apart from a newspaper boy who was riding on a Gogoat. 'Hm. We don't have anything like that back in Icirrus. Perhaps I can suggest something like that when I get back home. It will give the Pokémon some training plus that they can bond with their trainers' pondered the man. He considered himself lucky to be able to train with his partners or have them partake in movie productions. But a number of trainers did not spend time with their Pokémon on a daily basis since they solely focused on training. This resulted in a somewhat cold relationship between the two. The trainer only knew the moves and attacks of their partners while the Pokémon only knew what their trainer wanted from them on a battlefield. Even though the bluenette was an ice type enthusiast, he knew that having a close bond to your Pokémon was important.

A small creaking noise was heard when he opened up the door to the cabin where he was staying with a couple of the crew members. "Good morning Brycen! I'm glad to see you're bright and awake" greeted the camera man. His Golett was preparing the camera they were going to use. "I'm glad to see you're up as well. What is the plan for today?" inquired the older man as he closed the door. The other male picked up the info binder. "We're shooting from 8 AM to noon first. We're then going to take a break to 01:30 PM. From 02:30 PM to 06:30-ish, we're going to film the second bit. Wulfric has been kind enough to let us use the gym for the first segment. Segment number two will take place right outside the city. We're going to drive there by car" informed the camera man. 'He must be the gym leader' concluded Brycen as he put on the costume he was going to use. It was a simple mint green cotton kimono plus a navy blue obi belt. He was going to wear a navy woolen shirt plus tights in order to stay warm. "I'm going to the hair and makeup now. I assume the gym is the large building close to the boutique" told the man after he had put on his kimono. "Yes. They're going to use the locker rooms" replied the other guy as he started to pack his equipment.

The Icirrus gym leader left the cabin before he went straight to the gym. It was a large beige building with a distinctive cerulean blue roof that made it stand out from the wooden houses. When he entered the building, he noticed that the air was a bit chilly compared to the cabin they were staying at. But it was nowhere near as cold as outside though. The male looked around until he spotted a large sheet of paper that hung on the wall. 'Hair, makeup and costume is at locker room 3 and 4' read the ice type enthusiast before he went straight for room number 3. He opened the door only to reveal a room with four vanity tables. Two of them were reserved for hairdressers while the remaining two were apparently for the makeup. "Glad to see you're here Brycen. My name is Peter and I'm going to be your hairdresser today. We'll do your hair first before we move on to the makeup" told the male hairdresser as he pulled out a chair. "Thank you Peter" replied the older male as he sat down. He sat down and saw the younger guy pull out a pair of straighteners plus an enormous can of hairspray. The bluenette closed his eyes and let the hairdresser do his magic.

"Oh-kay Brycen! I've decided to go with a more traditional look that would not get in the way for the action scenes. Do you like it?" inquired the guy. The man opened his eyes to see what Peter had done to his hair. His pale blue locks had been tied into a topknot that reminded him a bit of the samurais. It was not a huge topknot, but it was done a bit tighter than what he would have normally done. The man behind him had apparently used some hairspray to make sure it stayed in place. "Looks very good. I'm sure this will survive most of the action scenes – if not all of them" complimented Brycen. Thanking the crew for doing their job well made sure that the relationship between them was not frosty. Especially if it was someone young like the male behind him. "Thank you! I'm happy you liked it. I'll send you to Lisa so you can get your makeup done. She'll be back in a second" told the hairdresser while gesturing towards an empty chair on the left. The male nodded before he sat down in the chair. A female brunette with cool brown eyes appeared next to him. "I assume you are Brycen then. I'm Lisa and I'm going to do your makeup" greeted the woman. "Pleased to meet you Lisa. I shaved this morning plus cleaning my face. I haven't put on any moisturizer since I'm not sure how the temperature will be in the gym" told the Icirrus gym leader.

She was about to answer when the door opened up. A man at the same age as him entered the room moments later. He had chalk white hair, a matching moustache plus silver coloured eyes. His body was rather stocky while his outfit consisted of an azure jacket, black slacks plus a pair of black winter boots. The male noticed that there was quite a bit of warmth in his eyes despite the gray colour. "Sorry if I'm interrupting. I was told by someone named Tommy that I needed to write down the conditions in my gym" informed the man. A man with indigo blue hair then emerged from the toilets with two trash bags. "Great to see you Wulfric. Thanks a bunch for the report, makes our job a lot easier" told the guy. "I assume you must be Brycen then. I remember watching one of your movies recently" greeted the gym leader. "Nice to meet you Wulfric. Thank you for letting us film in your gym" replied the bluenette. "No problem at all. The gym is closed for two weeks so I can prepare it for the annual Christmas party. And I do appreciate spending some time with my Pokémon outside of the battlefield" admitted the gym leader. What he said made the other guy smile even more. It seemed as if they had more in common than just the ice type preference.

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I thought it would be interesting to set the story in Snowbelle city. It's one of the few cities in-game where Pokémon have an active role in the everyday life. Plus that a city with constant snow must be perfect for year-round winter shows or Christmas movies!

As usual, reviews and PM's are much appreciated.


	20. T represents TV (Whitney x Malva)

Happy August everyone! I just returned from my holiday in Spain and Netherlands. Really enjoyed myself there thanks to the sunny weather, nice People plus the different art forms. I only got a few chapters left and I'll post one per week until I reach Z.

Something I really enjoyed in the Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal saga was actually the radio tower in Goldenrod. Since radio is not as popular as TV, I thought it would be interesting to see what Whitney would do. So let's join her on her PR travel to Kalos!

* * *

 **T represents Television.**

"All right, we're ready to roll in just a minute!" announced the TV producer. "I'm so glad you could make it Whitney! I have not met a lot of trainers from Johto" told the female as they sat down on the sofa. "I haven't met a lot of trainers from Kalos either! But I'm a little bummed that you don't have a radio station in this region" replied the young woman after she had brushed some dust off her shorts. Malva had been invited to a talk show where they interviewed gym leaders, elite four members plus other high-profiled people who worked with Pokémon in some way. Her fellow guest for today was the Goldenrod gym leader/radio DJ Whitney from Johto. The young woman did really like the show she hosted with DJ Mary. Gym leaders were guests on the show once a week plus that professor Oak had a Pokémon talk three times a week. The audience could send in requests to congratulate someone and they even had a question show once a week. Those who called to the radio tower could ask DJ Mary or Whitney questions that were not above PG or too personal. The Kalos elite four had given the PR company a copy of the broadcasts and a request to film a PR video. The company had accepted as long as the female could show up for a live question round. Viewers could send in questions for her to answer after the radio show had been introduced. "I'm thinking about making an online extension. If it works out, we should be able to broadcast your show" told the pinkette with a grin at her face. The Goldenrod gym leader was about to reply when one of the camera men gave them a signal. "One minute until we're on air!" told the crew member as he adjusted his camera. 'Calm down Whitney. It's just like the radio show you do back in Johto. And you've done that a million times without going crazy' thought the female as she inhaled some air. One of the crew members adjusted the lights as they prepared to go on air. "You remember your lines, right?" inquired the older woman while looking at her. "Uhm – yeah. I need to tell what channel to tune into plus famous people we feature in our show" replied the pinkette. Her partner nodded with a smile at her face.

"WE'RE ON AIR!" announced the crew member. The female duo looked straight into the center camera. "Hello everyone! I have a special guest today who has travelled all the way from Johto! Let me introduce you to Whitney!" announced Malva. "H-Hello everyone! My name is Whitney and I'm the gym leader of Goldenrod city. But I have a second job as well that is quite different" continued the younger woman in what she hoped was an optimistic voice. "Really? Could you please tell me what that is?" inquired the female in a curious voice. "Absolutely Malva. I work at the Radio Tower together with DJ Mary. We host different radio shows across the week. We interview gym leaders from Johto every Tuesday for starters. And we have a show with professor Oak every Monday from 10 AM to noon" replied Whitney with a smile at her face. "Really? What channels do you need to tune in to listen to your shows?" inquired the older woman. The younger female swallowed some spit as she tried to recall the exact channels. "Those who live in Johto or Kanto can tune in at channel 4.5. Those who listen to the web radio have to tune in at Johto 101. The information about the shows can be found at our webpage" informed the Goldenrod gym leader. "I hope you expand to Kalos soon, we don't have anything like that here yet. I bet the viewers has a lot of questions. Let's go then Whitney!" stated the pinkette as the camera crew adjusted their cameras. Her guest merely nodded as they started their question round.

A small 'beep' could be heard as the first question made it through. "Hi, my name is Austin. I was wondering…which Pokémon in Johto do you think are the coolest?" asked a boyish voice. This Austin was probably not more than nine or ten years old. "Hello Austin, thank you for your question! I think Clefairy as well as Miltank are quite cool. But I think an energetic guy like you would really like Furret and Hitmontop too" replied the young woman. "Awesome! Thanks a bunch Whitney!" exclaimed the boy. A small beep was heard as the second question rolled in. "Hello, my name is Paolo. I would like some advice for catching Pokémon. My daughter is turning ten years old next week and I want to give her a Pokémon. But which type do you recommend? We're both artists by the way" told the male voice. This question made her bite her lower lip. 'What kind of Pokémon would match a girl who likes arts? I think a grass type would be good, but flying types can be quite majestic. Not to mention they're quite practical. I guess I should go with the flying type' decided the part-time radio host. She straightened up a little before she looked into the camera. "Thank you for an excellent question Paolo. I think a cute looking flying type can be a good starter. I know many flying Pokémon have a grace to them that an artist would like. A flying type can come in handy if you're lost or need help with things too. I hope that answers your question" replied the female. "It does answer my question a fair bit. I have been debating over a few types and you've helped me narrow down my search. Thank you" told the man.

"All right, we have time for two more questions" announced the female. Another beep was heard until the connection was made. "Hello Whitney. My name is Sayid. Are there any famous Pokémon trainers in Johto or Kanto that specializes in psychic types?" asked a voice that sounded like a teenage boy. She let of a breath of relief; this was one she could answer. "Hi there Sayid! Yes – there are actually two very famous trainers in Kanto and Johto who use psychic Pokémon. One of them is the Johto elite four member named Will. The other one is a gym leader in Saffron. Her name is Sabrina. I'm quite sure she's in an upcoming Pokémon movie" informed the pinkette. "Thanks Whitney. Have a fantastic day" replied the guy. Another 'beep' was heard as they decided to air the last question. "Hi, I'm Joren. What kind of cities should I visit if I go to Johto?" asked a young man. "That depends on what you are interested in. Each city is known for their own thing, just like in Kalos. But I personally think Goldenrod, Ecruteak, Olivine and Azalea are worth a visit. Check Johto tourist blog if you want more detailed information" advised the female. "Sweet – thanks Whitney!" shouted the man before he hung up.

"That wraps up our show! Thank you for watching. Don't forget to check our web site for more information about the show Whitney has. See you next time!" announced the Kalos elite four member as she smiled towards the camera. A ringing sound could be heard as the cameras switched off. "Thanks a lot for having me Malva. I was a bit nervous, but it went better than I hoped" stated Whitney. She knew that this show would increase the amount of listeners for their show. Maybe they would receive requests about expanding their show to Kalos or other regions as well. But another possibility was that she or DJ Mary would be invited on more TV shows in the future. Even though the radio was not as popular, online TV was going strong. Maybe that could open new doors in terms of expansion as well as popularity…

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I hope the chapter lived up to your expectations. Please let me know in a PM or review!


	21. U stands for Underestimation (Agatha)

New week, new chapter! I read a newspaper article recently that inspired me to write this chapter. It was about an old woman who had beated a burglar into submission using her CRUTCH. Yes - she used her fricking crutch. It made me think of Agatha. Even if she's an elderly woman, she's in the Kanto elite four. Plus that she's got some nasty Pokémon that can cause serious injury. So let's see what happens when Agatha decides to go on a trip to Unova!

* * *

 **U stands for Underestimation.**

'Finally' thought the female as she approached the large city. She had travelled all the way from Vermilion with S.S. Anne to Castelia City on a cruise ship. It had been a long trip, but it was worth it. One of her grandchildren was getting married in just three days. 'Better get a good look of Castelia while I'm still healthy enough to do so' decided Agatha as she took a deep breath. She was surprised since she had expected the air to be all filthy or smelling nasty. But the air here was unexpectedly clean. 'I better get to my hotel. Maybe I'll buy some souvenirs for Lorelei since she's turning 35 next week' decided the woman as she went towards the city park. Her hotel was supposed to be at the east end, so it would make it easier for her to navigate. Being on a boat for a couple of days without seeing as much as a real bush was not a lot of fun either. The elite four member found the park ten minutes later after checking the street signs. It was quite big with numerous plants compared to the rather non-existing parks in Kanto. She noticed the number of street dancers that were dancing some sort of modern dance plus musicians that played different kind of music. The female did not really like rap since the beat was quite annoying. But she had to admit that the dancers were quite good; she didn't know a lot of people who could take cartwheels or spin on their head like they did. 'I'm really getting old. I can't remember anyone doing moves like that or making that kind of music when I was at that age' recalled the blonde. A smile graced her face. Her 75th birthday was coming up at the end of this year. What made her even happier was that her younger brother was going to celebrate his 40th wedding day next year. But the strangest thing was that his oldest daughter (her niece in other words) was 42 years old. It was hard to think of someone as a mature adult when you had known them since they were a baby.

Her eyes glanced at the dancer when she suddenly spotted someone sneaking close to a young man next to her. 'No way…is that a pickpocket?' thought the elder woman. She decided to step a little closer. The 'someone' turned out to be a woman with dark blonde hair tied into a short ponytail. The younger female zipped up his bag before she put her hand into it. Her grey eyes were glancing around like she was making sure nobody saw her. 'THAT. IS. IT' decided Agatha as she walked closer. "Hey, didn't your parents teach you that stealing is bad?" asked the female in a loud voice. The female thief jumped as people turned around to see what was going on. She then pushed the elite four member to the ground before she ran towards the west end of the park. "NOT SO FAST! Venasaur, stop that thief!" shouted the blonde as she threw her Pokéball towards the younger female. Venasaur appeared moments later on the grass. "Venasaur, use vine whip to pick up that girl! Let's teach her a lesson!" told the elder woman. Her partner did not hesitate as its sent its whips straight towards the surprised woman. The thief was pulled back to the crowd after she failed to bat the whips away. "I'm asking you one more time. Didn't your parents tell you that it's bad to steal from people?" inquired Agatha as she looked at the younger female. "That's none of your business your hag!" replied the blonde. What she said made the older female a grin. "I may be a hag, but I'm actually a highly ranked Pokémon trainer as well. Why don't you give back what you took from the young man over here so the situation doesn't become any worse?" suggested the elite four member. The thief sulked, but nodded reluctantly. "Fine. I'll give back the wallet that I stole. Could you please let me down?" asked the young woman with a scowl on her face. She was clearly not happy with being held up in the air by a Venasaur. Especially since people were able to see her from all angles. "Good. Let her down Venasaur" told the blonde. Her partner lowered the dark blonde woman on the ground before pulling the vine whips back. The female approached the male she had stolen the wallet from. "Here" muttered the thief as she handed him the item she had taken from him. "Thank you. I won't report you to officer Jenny as long as you don't steal from me or anyone else again" replied the man in a neutral voice. "Thanks. I'll try my best to not steal anymore. Bye" murmured the young woman before she left the park.

"Good job Venasaur. I'll buy you some Moomoo milk or a local delicacy that you can eat later today" promised the older female when she returned Venasaur to its Pokéball. She was about to exit the park when she saw two people approach her. It turned out to be a woman in her thirties plus a man with a camera. "Hello. Do you have time to answer some questions? We're working for Jubilife TV" informed the female. "Will it take long? I'm really tired after traveling" replied Agatha in a slightly sharp voice. She wasn't really one who enjoyed being in the media unless it was for a good cause. "No no, we just have three questions here. Do you mind?" inquired the journalist. "No. But don't expect my answers to be really long" answered the older woman. "That's all right. You said you were a highly ranked trainer. Are you a former gym leader or elite four member?" asked the female. "I'm an elite four member of the Kanto elite four. But I don't take on as many battles as I used to since I'm more than 70 years old" replied the elite four member. "Whoa, I really had no idea you were in the Kanto elite four! What is your name by the way?" continued the brunette. "Agatha" told the female. "Thank you Agatha. Why do you think that people don't consider you as a threat? That thief from earlier probably didn't seem to think that you were" inquired the younger woman. Her question made the blonde knit her brows a little. There was really not one specific answer to what she had asked. But she knew there could be a lot of mature or elderly people reading or watching this interview. And many of them were probably not from Kanto since the journalist was from Jubilife. She took a deep breath before she looked at the camera.

"I think it has to do with my age as well as my appearance. People don't mess with champions or physically strong people such as Lance or Surge for instance. But small elderly women like me are the least threatening kind of people. At least physically. People think that we're weak or pushovers because we're not as young or massive as others. That is why I got so angry when that thief from earlier pushed me into the ground. Not to mention that stealing or pushing elderly people are really bad manners" said the older woman in a sincere voice. "Thank you so much Agatha! We'll air the interview tomorrow at 7 PM sharp on Jubilife news. Make sure you don't miss it and I hope you'll enjoy your stay here in Unova!" told the journalist. "Thank you. I think I will as long as I don't get ambushed or get my purse stolen" laughed Agatha. The TV duo laughed too before they went their separate ways. It took only five minutes until she had reached the zebra crossing located right across the hotel she would stay in. 'Hm. Coming to think of it…there are more mature Pokémon trainers now compared to earlier. Pryce is doing a really great job over in Johto. Bertha is keeping it up too despite being the oldest in the Sinnoh league. And I'm quite sure there are some mature trainers over here as well. Those kids better not think we're softies just because of our age. After all, we got at least twice the life experience if not more' thought the woman as the light changed to green.

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I hope you liked reading this chapter. Remember to not underestimate someone just because of their size or age.


	22. V is for Volcano (Blaine x Flint)

Time to turn our eyes towards yet another duo that has a lot in common. One may be a lot older than the other, but they both share a bright spirit plus a passion for fire pokémon! Let's give a round of applause for...Flint and Blaine!

* * *

 **V is for Volcano.**

"This will be a one to one match. The battle is over when one Pokémon at either side is deemed unable to continue. Understood?" inquired Mr. Moore. "Yes!" replied both of the trainers in unison. Both of them had a fire burning in their eyes, all ready to battle. "Very well. Let the match begin!" announced the man. "I CHOOSE YOU!" shouted both of the trainers as they threw a Pokéball onto the battle field. An Infernape appeared at the right side while a Magmar emerged on the other side of the field. "Let's not waste any time! We'll open with a mach punch barrage! Jump on the rocks to get closer!" yelled the male. His Pokémon jumped from one rock to another, making it harder for the other trainer. "Let him come to you…we got a plan remember" told the man while he looked at his partner. The fire Pokémon nodded as his opponent came closer. It did not take long until the Infernape had made it into the close range. "NOW! PUNCH IT IN THE STOMACH WITH FIRE PUNCH!" shouted the older man. "MAGMAR!" exclaimed the Magmar as it launched a fire punch straight into the abdomen of the other Pokémon. Both of them hit at the same time and sent each other flying backwards. The duo managed to land on their feet without any problems at all. "Not bad. Let's see if you can handle our flamethrower! Aim at its legs!" ordered Flint. "INFERN-AAAPE!" screamed the Pokémon as it launched a massive flamethrower towards the opponent. The flames were blazing, indicating how strong the user was. "Hah, we can handle that pretty well! Let's match their flamethrower with ours Magmar! Aim for his legs as well!" told Blaine with a grin on his face. His partner did as he was told, but it turned out to be a somewhat bad idea. The flamethrowers connected at the middle and exploded. The thick smoke that covered the battlefield made it impossible for the duo to see anything. It took about half a minute for the smoke to clear. The flamethrowers had left a massive burn mark right in the middle of the battlefield.

"Let's not wait for them to move! Use sunny day Magmar!" shouted the man after adjusting his glasses. Strong rays of sun shone through the clouds, blinding both of his opponents. "Time to show them that we're the boss! Attack Infernape with fire punch again!" told the Cinnabar gym leader. 'Whoa, that Magmar isn't as slow as I thought it would be! I better send it back in order to make my attack work!' realized the younger guy. "That won't work Blaine! Infernape, step aside once he gets close!" ordered the Sinnoh elite four member in a low voice. "Infernape" replied his partner as he kept a close eye at his opponent. When he got close, the Pokémon stepped aside as fast as possible. "GREAT! USE MACH PUNCH!" yelled the male. "IN-FERNAPE!" screamed Infernape as it sent a barrage of punches straight towards his opponent. Magmar got hit straight on since it did not have any time to dodge the attack. 'Clever kid…waiting until we got close enough was not a bad idea. Too bad I got something up my sleeve for situations like these' thought the older male with a grin on his face. "Magmar, use thunderpunch on the stone next to you!" shouted Blaine. "MAG-MAR!" exclaimed Magmar as it sent a strong thunderpunch right into the stone. The power shattered the rock into smaller pieces that flied straight towards his opponent. The Pokémon attempted to shield its face, but it took a noticeable amount of damage. It appeared as the match was coming to its critical point now. Both of the Pokémon had taken some hits plus that they were literally quite warmed up by now.

"Let's put the final nail in the coffin Infernape! Use earthquake!" yelled the guy as he glared at the Magmar in front of him. "INFERNAPE!" screamed the Pokémon as it slammed both feet into the ground. A rumbling sound paired with a growing shockwave warned the duo of what was to come. "Nice trick, but it won't work! Use confuse ray!" shouted the older man. "Magmaar" muttered the Pokémon as it unleashed a blinding light towards the Infernape. But the earthquake was already more than halfway thanks to the opponents speed. The ground was shaking just a moment after the Infernape had been hit with the confuse ray. "MAAAGMAAAR!" shouted the Magmar in agony as the ground type attack proved to be too much. It felt down to the ground just moments later. His opponent was walking around in a daze, but appeared to be fine apart from the confusion. "Magmar is unable to fight! The winner of the match is Flint and Infernape!" announced Mr. Moore. Blaine felt slightly annoyed, but it had been an excellent match for sure. The battle had been a mixture of burning punches, thrown rocks, close combat exchanges, shaking grounds plus fire hot enough to burn through solid rock. "Return Magmar. Great job there" told the man as his opponent congratulated Infernape. Flint then approached the older gym leader with a big smile on his face. "This was awesome. I haven't fought such a strong fire user in ages! Thanks a lot Blaine. Make sure you thank Magmar as well" stated the male as he held out his hand. "You didn't do too bad either. Your Infernape has a fire that is really intense. No wonder you're an elite four with such a bright spirit" replied the Cinnabar gym leader as he shook his hand. The audience applauded while others were taking pictures of the duo.

"What are you doing later today? I'm heading to Lilycove to meet my brother Buck" informed the redhead. "I'm going to stay here in Lavaridge before I head off to Fortree. I've heard the hot springs here are just as good as those back home in Cinnabar. I want to test that out to see if it's any truth to that" told the older man with a grin. "I see. I tried them yesterday and I really enjoyed it. I hope you have a great holiday if I don't see you later" replied the Sinnoh elite four member as he went to greet the crowd. They had agreed that the younger of the two could pose for photos while the older one had signed some posters that would be auctioned or given as prizes. The duo plus Lavaridge town would get some much needed PR that would attract visitors. 'Maybe I should ask the other gym leaders to arrange something like this when I get back home. We don't have much of that apart from the New Year's tournament in Celadon' thought Blaine as he walked backstage. He entered the small wardrobe and took the time he needed to change into a pair of beige chinos plus a dark red button-up cotton shirt. The male exited the wardrobe right after he had packed his outfit into the brown leather bag.

'Time to check out the springs!' decided the Cinnabar gym leader as he went straight to the Pokémon center. "Hello there. I would like to leave my Pokémon here. Are there any chances to try out the hot springs?" asked the male in a semi-polite voice. "Yes. They're open until 8 PM, so you got three hours until we close" informed the nurse. "Thank you madam" replied the chalk-haired man. He went to the men's locker room after his partners had been handed over to the nurse Joy. The locker room had charcoal gray tiles while the sinks were made out of white china. The fire type enthusiast cleaned himself up before he entered the hot springs in the back. Only three men who appeared to be in their late thirties were sitting there. "Aaaaaah. This is LOVELY" muttered the man as he lowered himself into the hot water. Even though it did not smell that great, it sure felt lovely on his skin. It was a bit weird how much he liked hot surroundings. Cinnabar Island laid in the southern area of Kanto, meaning that the summers were rather warm. Then was his gym that was inside the scorching volcano. His Pokémon was not exactly cool like the ones Lorelei had. Same could be said about this water. 'Hm. Maybe I enjoy hot weather or water because it keeps my energy levels up. I actually feel more energized when I'm literally feeling the heat. Maybe that's how I'm able to be a gym leader and fight against people young enough to be my children' mused Blaine as he leaned back into the warm rocks behind him.

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How do you think of this pairing? I think it's fun to pair up two gym leaders that are different in age, but have a love for a certain pokémon type. PM's as well as reviews with praise or constructive criticism are much appreciated.


	23. W stands for Wordly (Surge x Clemont)

Hello people! Remember the first Pokemon song? Somewhere in the lyrics, they sang "I will travel across the land". And it's not only Pokémon trainers who travels a lot. Let's see what happens when Clemont the inventor meets the army lieutenant Surge!

* * *

 **W stands for Worldly.**

"So this is it huh…" muttered the male as they left the large ship. His family had decided to visit some relatives in Kanto this summer. The last time Clemont had seen them was last year when they came to visit them in Kalos. "Woweee! It looks so nice here!" squealed Bonnie as she jumped around in pure joy. The guy had to agree; the houses here had a sleek modern design to them while the streets were quite clean. "All right kids. Let's read in the rule book that we got on the ship. I want you to listen VERY carefully" told Meyer after he had picked up the booklet from his backpacker. Both of his children looked at their father when they heard how serious his voice was. "Rule 1: Vermilion is a very environmental conscious city. The reason for this is to prevent Grimer infestations. Grimer is a highly toxic Pokémon that loves polluted areas. Rule 2: Watch out for bikers when walking in the city center. Many people use bikes or motorcycles in order to reduce the pollution. Bikes can be rented at the hotel or the Pokémon fan club. Rule 3: Do not wake up or disturb sleeping Snorlaxes. These Pokémon can easily squash an adult man. Contact officer Jenny instead. Rule 4: Make sure you got strong Pokémon if you want to battle against Vermilion gym leader Lieutenant Surge" read the man. The last statement made the Lumiose gym leader wide-eyed with wonder. "Whoa – they actually have a Pokémon gym here? I wonder how it is like. But I bet the gym leader is tough given that he is an actual lieutenant" stated the male. His father checked the map. "Well what do you know. My brother in law does not live very far away from the gym! I'm quite sure we can go there later after we've eaten our dinner" told the older male with a grin on his face. "YES!" shouted both of his children in unison. Their travel with Ash meant that they had seen all the gyms in Kalos, but they had barely seen any in other regions. The blonde had no time to travel since he was a gym leader as well as a student. Bonnie however was not even old enough to become a trainer yet. She was allowed to have her Dedenne though since her parents was helping her to take care of it.

"I wonder what type of Pokémon we can find here in Kanto. I know Ash said that trainers can choose between a Squirtle, Charmander or Bulbasaur at the start of their journey" told the young girl as they walked past a shopping center. "Mhm. And Pikachu is obviously a Kanto Pokémon as well. Pretty sure Magnemite is from this region as well. But I wonder if there are any other electric types here other than Pika-". "AAAUCH!" screamed his sister. Her scream made him snap out of his thoughts as his mind went straight into alert mode. The female laid flat on the ground right next to a rather bulky mouse-looking Pokémon. It was bright orange with a tail that had a lightning bolt at the end. "Raaaai!" stated the creature as it looked at the human laying at the ground. "Raichu! Oh my God, what have you done?" shouted a masculine voice from behind. The family turned around to see a huge man that was dressed in an army outfit. His ash blonde hair was cut in a buzzcut while a pair of sunglasses shielded his eyes. In addition to this, there was a bag slung around his left shoulder. Clemont noticed that the man had a silver bar at his uniform plus a name badge that said 'Surge'. "Is this your Raichu?" asked Meyer as he helped his daughter back up on her feet. "Yes. Raichu, you know better than running away like that! Are you hurt miss?" inquired the male as he looked down at the girl. "Uhm – I don't think I broke anything. But my kneecap hurts a little" told the blonde as she pointed down at her kneecap. There was a telltale red mark there that would probably bruise in a day or two. "Right kid. Just stand still for a moment. Return Raichu" muttered the army man as he returned the Pokémon back to its ball. The male then took up a tube with gel from the bag that had a Beartic on it.

"I'm lieutenant Surge by the way. I just returned from some duty overseas in Unova. My Raichu is usually better behaved than this, but he probably got a bit too excited. This is just some ice gel that will reduce that swelling. Just stand still kid while I put it on" assured Surge as he squeezed some gel out of the tube. He smeared it on her kneecap with a focused look at his face. Bonnie winced a little since this was an odd sensation to her. But it did reduce her pain quite a lot. "There we go. All nice and dandy" stated the man as he put the tube back, a satisfied smile at his face. "Thank you for the help Surge" told the other man as his daughter appeared to be in less pain. "You're welcome! I'm just trying to make up for how my Raichu behaved" laughed the blonde. "Excuse me…can I ask you a question Surge?" inquired the boy. "Sure" replied the man. "Are you the gym leader by any chance? I know the gym leader in this city is a lieutenant. And that Raichu of yours surely looked quite strong" told the Lumiose gym leader. Surge let out a loud laugh. "Why yes! I am the gym leader here in Vermilion. Are you here to challenge my gym by any chance?" inquired the gym leader with a huge grin at his face. "No. I don't think that'll be very productive given that I'm an electric type gym leader myself. My name is Clemont and I'm the gym leader of Lumiose gym in Kalos" informed the guy. The man in front of him removed his sunglasses. His cobalt blue eyes looked down at his gym leader in wonder.

"Kalos you say? That's QUITE a long way from here" stated Surge. "Yes. But I'm really keen on learning more about Pokémon in other regions. I mean, there must be other electric types than Raichu, Pikachu as well as Magnemite here in Kanto. Not to mention other gym leaders" told Clemont, his eyes sparking with eagerness. This caught the attention of the male standing above him. 'He seems pretty curious and observant all right. The kid was able to tell my rank just by looking at my uniform. I think I'll tell him what kind of electric Pokémon he can find here' decided the blonde. "Right kid. We don't really have that many electric types here in Kanto. We do have the ones that you mentioned plus two others called Electabuzz and Jolteon. You do however need an Eevee plus a thunderstone to get a Jolteon. If you're REALLY lucky, you may be able to see the legendary bird Zapdos. It's about 5'3" tall with golden yellow spikes all over its body. I'm afraid I gotta go now. Please stop by if you want a battle. But don't expect me to go easy on you" warned the male before he left them. "Thanks for the advice Surge! I hope I'll see you later!" shouted the guy while his father was doing a checkup on his little girl. She seemed to be doing all right; that ice gel had apparently done the trick.

"I just got a call from my sister-in-law. She's making some stew for us for dinner" informed the older female after she had hung up her phone. "Right, we better get going then. I bet the two of you are really hungry!" stated the man as they started walking again. "I can't believe we just spoke with the gym leader in Vermilion! I really hope we get to meet him again!" told the blonde girl with sparkling eyes. "Mhm. He seems to be quite a wordly person. But he's in the army after all" replied the Lumiose gym leader as they crossed the street. He felt a bit jealous of Surge since he could literally travel across the land or sea. But on the other hand, his family had just arrived in a new region. The male looked around him while his mind absorbed the new impressions. All of the buildings had a different design compared the ones he had seen in Kalos. The songs that he heard while passing a music shop had a more traditional sound than the ones back home. Speaking of which, Clemont noticed that the people passing them had an urban clothing style. 'I think this is going to be a really nice trip. I just need to let everything sink in. But I really can't wait to see the Pokémon that Surge told me about!' thought the guy as they crossed the street.

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Three more chapters to go until this challenge is complete! As always, PM's or reviews with constructive criticism or praise are much appreciated.


	24. X represents Xerox (Rocksmash)

When I wrote this chapter, I thought on how we communicate. We can use cell phones or internet to keep in touch no matter where they live. The Pokémon world is no exception since they have six regions with a seventh on its way. So let's see how Roxanne and Brawly keep things going when they're apart!

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 **X represents Xerox.**

'Whoa. This is really nice' thought the female as she walked towards the harbor. It was early in the morning and she had decided to do some exercise. Roxanne was not exactly the sporty type, but her long-distance boyfriend had influenced her quite a bit. He was an avid surfer who happened to be a fight type enthusiast as well. 'But I have to admit that he's become a bit more studious as well. Which is good since he's trying to become a personal trainer' recalled the young woman as she started to jog. Golden yellow sunrays coloured the otherwise blue autumn skies while the white clouds had turned pale pink. A smile formed at her face as she saw a couple of Pidgey fly across the sky. One advantage of getting up early was to see the nature around her. The rock Pokémon trainer had started her senior year at university now with her eyes on a bachelor degree in education with a minor in administration. A degree like that would give her a pay rise in her instructor job, making it easier for her to save up money. 'It's a little funny really. I'm becoming an instructor for an academic subject while my boyfriend wants to train people physically. But maybe that's why we can kind of get along despite our differences. We both want to help others as well as learning new things' pondered the female as she approached the tall lighthouse. She had first thought he was a laid-back surfer boy who had little to no discipline at all. However, that was just her first impression. The Dewford gym leader turned out to be a big believer of applying everyday activities to Pokémon battles or vice versa. The young woman however was no stranger to use what she had learned at the Pokémon school in her battles. Another surprise was the mindset the young man had. He was no stranger to using alternative battle methods when it came to himself or his Pokémon. The black-haired female had found this quite intriguing given her academic background. On the other hand, the young man had taught a number of more classic methods from her, despite being a bit reluctant in the start.

'Oh. That reminds me. I need to scan that brochure into my USB memory stick. Better do that when I get back to the hotel. Pretty sure they have a scanner there' recalled the female as she turned on her heel. She started to jog back to the hotel, her speed a bit higher now. The brochure in question was for a fighting Pokémon master class for trainers. The host was going to be the gym leader in Cianwood who had trained fighting types for more than twenty years. Roxanne knew this would interest her boyfriend, so she had decided to scan a copy to him. The masterclass would fill up soon plus that Brawly had planned to come to Johto next week. He had told her he was going to meet her as well as some friends of his. 'I just hope Brawly haven't made too many plans. I know that a masterclass like this is something he would love' hoped the young woman as she approached the hotel. She was feeling a bit out of breath, but the fresh morning air soothed the slight burn in her airways. A small 'ding' could be heard as she entered the lobby of the small hotel. The hotel had a simple but elegant style that was mainly used by sailors or Pokémon trainers that were going to Cianwood. Most of the walls were painted in pale cerulean blue while the floors were slate gray. A nice touch that the female had noticed were the photos of Pokémon that hung on the wall. Many of them were taken by a known photographer named Todd. The Rustboro gym leader gave the clerk a polite smile before she walked up to her room. It was at the first floor at the middle of a corridor. A small 'clank' could be heard when the female opened up the door to her room. It was just the right size for one person with a bed, a desk, a comfortable chair, a narrow cupboard for her clothes and a small TV. 'I'm pretty sure I laid my brochure inside my suitcase' recalled the black-haired woman as she opened up her dark pink trolley suitcase. Scarlet eyes searched through the content for the bright yellow paper she had taken with her. She pushed her toiletry bag to the side and spotted a familiar brochure lay right above her magazine. A smile formed at her face; the young woman knew she would find it sooner or later. She then picked up a white memory stick that laid at the far left of her trolley suitcase. Once Roxanne had made sure everything was in order, she jogged down to the lobby afterwards with the brochure in her hands.

"Hello. Could I please borrow your photocopier for a moment? I need to scan this brochure into my memory stick" inquired the female. "Sure. The photocopier is right inside the copy room. Push the green button to turn it on and click it once again when you're finished" replied the man. "Thanks" replied the Rustboro gym leader. She then walked into the computer room, which was a tiny room with a photocopier plus a large trash can. 'Where can I put my memory stick?' pondered the young woman as she looked at the machine. It was a different model than the one she used at the university. 'AHA!' thought the inky-haired female when she spotted a USB port on the right side of the photocopier panel. She made sure that the brochure was placed nicely on the scanner as she put the memory stick into the port. A quiet humming could be heard after the female had pressed the green button. Red optics glanced down at her wristwatch. 'It's only 08:05 AM. I'm not in a big hurry' thought Roxanne. She removed the brochure once the scanning was completed and turned off the machine. "Thanks for letting me use the photocopier!" told the young woman as she left the lobby. "You're welcome miss" said the male.

The Rustboro gym leader turned on her mini laptop once she got back to her room. 'PLEASE let this scan be decent!' prayed the female as her computer kicked into action. She happened to have the odd accident with computers or electronics if she did not pay close attention. Like the time the printer had printed out a greyscale photo that was supposed to be in colour. Or the time when she had not resized a photo that did not fit into her handin. The black-haired woman put the USB stick into the USB port and soon found the file she looked for. The photos were a bit blurred while the colours were less vibrant. But the text was readable, which was the most important thing. She let out a sigh of relief as she wrote a mail to Brawly. 'Hello Brawly. I found this brochure at the hotel yesterday. A masterclass like this would probably be perfect for you. Maybe you can participate at this while you're in Johto? If so, make sure you sign up fast! Xoxo Roxanne. Looks good to me. Time to attach the file…there we go. Send' thought the young woman as she had composed her mail. Roxanne then went to the bathroom to wash her face and put on a little perfume. After she had applied moisturizer onto her skin, she put on her black tights, charcoal gray dress plus her pink scarf. The autumn in Johto was a bit colder than the one back in Hoenn. She was about to turn off her computer when she noticed the mail that popped up. It was from Brawly. 'Thanks a lot for the mail Roxanne! The master class looks really awesome. I'll sign up, but they may be fully booked. I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Brawly '. The female could not help but to smile as she turned off her computer. Using technology to keep in touch was not as romantic as love letters, but it certainly made things more efficient.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter about this not so odd couple. Reviews and/or PM's with constructive criticism or praise are much appreciated!


	25. Y is for Ying and Yang (Twins x Burgh)

We're almost at the end of the ABC-challenge! This is for the twinsies and siblings out there. Pokémon has a lot of characters who have siblings. Misty have her sisters, Brock has several younger siblings, May and Max are siblings...the list goes on. So I decided to write a chapter about two very unique siblings. They share a gym, a birthday as well as a love for Pokémon. Give a round of applause for Liza and Tate!

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 **Y is for Yin and Yang.**

"Whoa. I can't believe we're actually here" muttered the female as they arrived the large city. This was quite a bit different that the island they were from. "I agree" replied the male, his eyes wide with wonder. Both of the siblings had decided to backpack in Unova after they had graduated. The duo would start in Castelia before they split apart. Tate wanted to see some of the nature near Mistralton as well as Icirrus. Snow and mountain ranges were not common in Hoenn after all. Liza on the other hand could not wait to see the cultural hotspots in Unova. Cities such as Nacrene plus Striation were therefore at the top of her list. The duo looked at the people around them as they went towards the hostel they would stay at. School kids were chatting happily with one another while teenagers were skating on rollerblades.

"This is quite different than Hoenn. There are so many…different people here. I haven't seen any girls dress like that back in Hoenn" observed the guy as they walked past a woman with a rather interesting look. Her black hair was tied in a high ponytail that had been teased a bit. The sepia brown eyes were heavily outlined with ebony eyeliner while her eyelids were covered in dark green eyeshadow. Her lips were painted pale ruby red. Her outfit consisted of a T-shirt was charcoal gray with some neon-coloured Pokémon on it while her legs were covered by a pair of denim shorts. On her feet were a pair of neon orange canvas shoes that looked well worn. "You actually notice how people dress? I'm impressed Tate" replied the girl with a teasing smile at her face. Even though they were not kids anymore, she still enjoyed to banter with her brother. But the tone was less condescending now compared to their childhood years due to her sisterly affection. The Mossdeep gym leader was more aware of how lucky she was to have a sibling that was at the exact same age as herself. Not only that, but shared a passion for Pokémon together as well. "Off course I notice! Have you seen any punkers like that back in Mossdeep? Or are you so busy with sticking your nose into magazines that you don't notice the world around you any-". He got interrupted when his sister suddenly bumped into something as they turned a corner.

"Ah, I'm so sorry! I didn't watch where I was going!" exclaimed the female as she tried to get back on her feet. Her brother helped her up as he looked at the person who had collided with her. It turned out to be a tall male with ivory skin that matched his pale golden brown hair. "No, I'm sorry. I should be looking a bit closer. I'm the native here after all" laughed the guy as he picked up some small rolls with fabric. The inky-haired girl blinked as she took a second look at the man. She had seen him somewhere…but where? "Levanny?" inquired a bug like Pokémon that approached them. "I'm fine Levanny. Thanks for your concern" assured the brunette as he looked at his partner. 'WAIT. A Levanny and some rolls of fabric? Isn't that Burgh, the gym leader of Castelia?' realized the girl as her eyes widened. "Sis? Are you all right?" asked the inky-haired guy when he noticed her sudden change in facial expression. "Yeah. But – but aren't you Burgh from Castelia city gym? Sorry, that came out wrong!" ranted Liza as she realized what she had said. But the young man let out a charming laugh as he looked at the shorter female. "No, I'm fine. You are right about my identity however. I am Burgh as well as the leader of Castelia city gym. Nice to meet you by the way" replied Burgh. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Tate and this is my twin sister Liza. We're the gym leaders in Mossdeep. Have you been there?" inquired the guy while making sure his voice was on the polite side. "No…I can't say I have. Wait a minute. Are you two from a different region? Like Kanto or Johto?" replied the male as he studied the duo. "Yes. We are from Hoenn. We got here with the ship that came in earlier today" explained Liz.

"Aaaaah, I get it now! You two must have taken then Southern Ferry. I think you're quite brave to travel all the way from Hoenn to here. What brings you to Unova by the way?" inquired the Castelia gym leader in a curious voice. "We're here for some backpacking. We just graduated you see and we wanted to explore some different grounds. We decided to go to Unova since we never been here" told Tate as he stepped aside to let another woman past. The older man smiled. "I think you'll enjoy Unova quite a lot. It's very diverse in both people as well as activities. I highly recommend you to visit the Studio Castelia as well as the huge park called Central Plaza. They often have Pokémon battles there, so I think gym leaders like you two will love that" informed the brunette as they turned a corner. Both of the twins looked at each other. "Uhm – no offense – but we're not exactly huge art enthusiasts" replied the female Mossdeep gym leader. Being a psychic Pokémon trainer had given her an edge in "reading" people. From the way the taller man dressed combined with his studio recommendation, he was most likely an art fan. He thankfully did not seem to mind her reply about the art. "No offense taken Liza. I may be wrong, but are you two the kind of twins that are very close to one another?" inquired Burgh with an intrigued look at his face.

The duo looked at each other with a somewhat disgusted look that nearly made the male laugh. "No way! We're only doing gym leader battles and traveling together" stated the younger man with a fierce look in his eyes. "I agree with Tate for once. The only things we're sharing are birthdays, parents plus a chromosome" seconded the female in a tone that mirrored her twins. Her reply made the brunette smile a little wider. "I see. I guess that you two are like ying and yang. You're different, but you somehow complete one another" said the man. He glanced down at his wristwatch. "Hm. Seems like I have to leave. Feel free to stop by my gym tomorrow if you want to. My gym opens at 9 AM. Have a great day and I hope you enjoy what Castelia has to offer!" told Burgh before he left the twins. "Bye Burgh!" told the twins as he disappeared in the huge crowd of people. "I hope all people here in Unova are as friendly as he is" told the inky-haired girl as she pulled out a map to see where their hotel was. "He was really nice. Maybe we should stop by his gym to see what kind of trainer he is" suggested the male Mossdeep gym leader. "Mhm. Maybe we can get some inspiration to our gym back home" replied the girl as she scanned the map of Castelia city. What he had said about them being like ying and yang made her think a little. Even though they were non-identical twins, people assumed that they had many things in common. This was an assumption the duo (plus a plenty of other twins) did not like at all. Liza was more into fashion and make-up while her brother enjoyed video games and technology. Tate was a bit more logical in his way of thinking while she had a more creative mindset. But she could not deny that they shared some similarities too. Both of them liked Pokémon – psychic types to be more exact. They liked the colour blue and had a small collection of plush dolls in their rooms. Another thing they enjoyed was travelling to foreign places. 'Maybe being a bit similar is not as bad as we think. We do share a chromosome after all. And not everyone can say they have a sibling that's the exact same age as themselves' concluded the female as she crossed the street with her brother on her side.


	26. Z stands for Zen (Grant)

I apologize for the long wait. I got a nasty cold that has lasted for nearly TEN DAYS! This is the longest amount of time I've had one. But here is the last chapter in my ABC challenge. Since everybody is back to school or work, I decided to write about taking a break in a hectic life. This corresponds with the first chapter where I wrote about Erika. But this chapter will be all about...wait for it...GRANT!

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 **Z stands for Zen.**

"Gah! Just one more" muttered the male as he grabbed onto a rock. This part of the mountain was a bit steeper than what he had expected it to be. Grant felt his arms and shoulder muscles ache a little as he pulled his body upwards. He had decided to go on a business trip to Sinnoh while his gym underwent a much-needed refurbishment. A steady increase in opponents combined with a new sponsor meant that Cyllage gym had a much better income. The man had saved a third of the new money in case something happened. Another third would be used to improve the electric system while the remaining third had been used on sending the gym trainers on a Pokémon workshop in Sinnoh. The Cyllage gym leader was able to afford that since they were only four (himself included). None of them had been on any type of course or masterclass for over a year due to the finances plus the increase in challengers. A workshop like this would probably be just what they needed. All four of them had travelled by boat to Canalave first to participate at the workshop. It had been just the tonic the quartet needed to get the inspiration they had been lacking. The leader of the course was Byron, a steel type trainer who had been a gym leader for nearly twenty years. He had taught them new strategies to use in battles combined with teamwork methods. The quartet then had to fight against some of the other trainers at the workshop. Even though some of them lost or ended up in a tie, it had been a valuable experience. The quartet then decided to travel to Hearthome city for three days. One of them was spent on watching a Pokémon contest at the hyper rank level. All four of them had enjoyed this; the moves combined with the style was a new experience for them. Even the young man had enjoyed himself despite not being a huge contest fan.

But today, the Kalos male had decided to give them a day off since they would travel home tomorrow night. Another reason was that he needed some time off to relax. Traveling to a new region plus participating at the workshop had taken a toll on him. The male had wanted to check out mount Coronet due to its rumor among the hiker trainers. 'Looks like it wasn't a rumor after all. This mountain is definitely not for beginner climbers!' thought the male as he extended his right leg. He kicked off from the small shelf so he could get to the top. 'Phew. Finally, here' thought Grant as he got up on his knees. He had finally reached the plateau of Mount Coronet that so many climbers had talked about. The young man stepped forwards while taking in the surroundings. 'No wonder this place is so popular among the climbers in Sinnoh. The view is SPECTACULAR!' noticed the Cyllage gym leader. He was able to see the bustling life of Hearthome city at the front while some higher mountains were located behind him. On the right side of the mountain was Eterna city and the male could see some of the cycling road as well. He inhaled the fresh air with his nose, his muscles relaxing after the tough climb. This was pretty much meditation for him. Climbing mountains or looking at the world from an elevated surface made his body and mind feel calm. Sure, looking at cities from the top of a building was quite a magnificent sight too. But looking at the surrounding nature from the top of a mountain was a whole different thing. He was able to feel the wind ruffle his hair while the different scents tingled his nose. The Kalos man could smell flowers that were in bloom plus the remains of yesterday's rain shower. Or maybe it had been a Pokémon that had used rain dance in this area quite recently. A building with walls or glass windows would not give one such an experience. 'The air here feels a bit fresher compared to the one in Kalos. Maybe it's because we're further up north' pondered the man as he stretched out his body. His muscles were grateful for the stretch; it had been a somewhat tough climb up to the top.

'Perhaps I should do some meditation. The last couple of days have been quite hectic after all' decided Grant. He sat down in front of a rock before he leaned back onto it. Both of his eyes closed while his trail of thoughts started to calm down. The male inhaled fresh air through his nose, just like the woman in that yoga video had recommended. 'Inhale…exhale' thought the Cyllage gym leader as the oxygen reached his lungs. He could feel the muscles in his body relax completely while his mind went into a semi-dormant state. 'Today is my last day in Sinnoh. We'll be going home to a new gym with better facilities than the old one. We still got money left after the renovation. My trainers have received some training that should make them stronger. It has made me stronger at the very least – we should do this more often' concluded the man as he exhaled a puff of oxygen. The rock type enthusiast inhaled another lungful of air in slow motion. 'Mmmm…smells like cherries. Wait. We're in end of March. Doesn't cherries usually bloom in the middle of April in Sinnoh?' recalled the male. He opened up his eyes to see what was going on. Steely blue eyes glanced at the trees around him. There were buds on them, but there were certainly no flowers yet. "Cherubi!" exclaimed a voice on his left side. Grant immediately backed towards the right, his mind switching into alert mode. He then noticed the small pink Pokémon that stood just eight feet in front of him. 'What kind of Pokémon is that? I don't thi-'. "Cheru-biii!" screamed the Pokémon before it sprayed some sort of dust straight towards him. The male got up on his feet as fast as possible in an attempt to get away. He knew from his own battle experiences that grass type Pokémon were able to produce some nasty spores that could paralyze their enemy. 'CRAP! It's too fast!' noticed the Kalos man as the cloud of spores came closer. But the attack did not make his muscles spasm or stiff in any way. In fact, it made his body feel more relaxed. The man sniffed on his arm to check what was going on. His arm smelled like those cherry blossoms that appeared during the spring. 'This isn't a spore attack. It's sweet scent! Thank God – at least I'll be able to get down from here. I may have to smell like a giant cherry blossom for the rest of the day though. But perhaps that is a good thing' mused Grant as the Pokémon fled.

He went to the part of the plateau where he had arrived earlier and started on his descent. The male kept a close eye at the nearby rocks so he did not slip or felt down the mountain wall. Climbing down was a bit easier than climbing up since he knew the route back down. 'Maybe I should sign us up for some similar seminar next year. But I better talk with my trainers first' decided the Cyllage gym leader as he moved his arm to the right side. He moved down at a steady pace until he reached the bottom of the hillside. The guy checked his clothes as well as his shoes for any tears. 'Not a scratch. Perfect – one less thing to worry about. I better get back to the hotel since it's nearly lunchtime' thought the Kalos male as he started on his return to the hotel. Their gym would be back to normal upon their return and they could put the new knowledge into practice. Everything was great.

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And this concludes the ABC challenge. I've featured gym leaders from all the six regions, a number of elite four members plus a few champions. I even managed to squeeze in some romantic pairings to make things more interesting. Please let me know your thoughts in a PM or a review and have a great day!


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